Radius head fractures in adults and children. Current concepts

Radius head fractures are common injuries in adults ranging from minimally dislocated breaks to comminuted luxation fractures. In order to restore the function of the elbow joint in the best possible way a suitable management is indispensable. It is important to search for concomitant bony or soft tissue injuries in order to treat these simultaneously. Since the introduction of low profile tailored mini-fragment implants, osteosynthesis of radius head fractures is a very good option. For fractures which do not permit an expedient reconstruction of the radius head due to the fragmented area, a primary prosthesis or re-section of the radius head is recommended but as yet no good clinical studies have been published for any techniques. Radius head fractures in children are rare due to late ossification of the radius head and are more likely to suffer from radius neck fractures which can then affect the blood flow in the head. Therapy is dependent on the age of the children and the degree of dislocation and is more conservative.