Excision or Silastic replacement for comminuted radial head fractures. A long-term follow-up.


Published online: Dec 27 1994

D V Stoffelen, and B J Holdsworth.

U.Z. Gasthuisberg, Dept. of Traumatology, Leuven, Belgium.

Abstract

This report comprises a follow-up of 39 patients after simple excision and 16 patients after Silastic replacement of the radial head for displaced comminuted fractures. Prostheses were used when similar fractures were associated with an unstable elbow. The excision group was followed up for 6.1 years on average, and the replacement group for 5.7 years. The objective result after simple excision was good in 55% of cases, fair in 26% and poor in 19%. The results in the replacement group were only 13% good, 38% fair, 37% poor and in 12% the prostheses had to be removed.

Open access journal

This is an open access journal which means that all content is freely available without charge to the user or his/her institution. Users are allowed to read, download, copy, distribute, print, search, or link to the full texts of the articles in this journal without asking prior permission from the publisher or the author. This is in accordance with the BOAI definition of open access.