case_images: PMC2771151_01
case_images: (a) Our patient was a 48-year-old dentist who was seen 10 months after a high energy fall that resulted in a complex intra-articular fracture of her left nondominant distal humerus. (b) Initial treatment performed at an outside institution consisted of static external fixation with the arm in 90  flexion and the forearm in neutral rotation. (c) The external fixator was removed after 8 weeks and follow-up the radiographs revealed distal humerus intra-articular malunion. (d) An oscillating saw was used to create a trapezoid wedge to correct overlength varus of the lateral column and flexion of the capitellum in order to realign capitellum and trochlea. Extreme caution was taken no to disrupt blood supply of the capitellum. (e) The patient had loss of anterior translation of the distal end of the humerus resulting in loss of flexion of 35 degrees, with 10 degrees of hyperextension of the left elbow. (f) Patient opted for removal of hardware and extra-articular excavation of the prominent ventral distal humerus creating a new fossa coronoidea in order to gain flexion.
case_images: CRM2009-631306.001b.jpg
case_images: PMC2771151_01_CRM2009-631306.001b.jpg
case_images: fig1
case_images: Our patient was a 48-year-old dentist who was seen 10 months after a high energy fall that resulted in a complex type C3 intra-articular fracture of her left nondominant distal humerus (Figure 1(a)). Initial treatment performed at an outside institution consisted of static external fixation with the arm in 90  flexion and the forearm in neutral rotation (Figure 1(b)). The capitellum radii was fixed to the ulnar condyle using an isolated lag screw (Figure 1(c)). The olecranon osteotomy was fixed with screw-tension band technique (Figure 1(d)). She had loss of anterior translation of the distal end of the humerus resulting in 90 degrees of flexion and 5 degrees of hyperextension of the left elbow (Figure 1(e)). Her final flexion improved to 110 degrees with 5 degrees of hyperextension (Figure 1(f)).