Miscellany: The Road to Recovery

After my bike fall a month ago, I'm pleased to report that I'm out of my sling, and moving my arm around. It'll be a couple months at least before I'm fully recovered, but it's nice to be able to fold laundry again. Some of my friends were curious about what actually happened, so here's a rundown.

From orthoinfo.org:

Radial Head Fracture:

Trying to break a fall by putting your hand out in front of you seems almost instinctive. But the force of the fall could travel up the lower forearm bones and dislocate the elbow. It also could break the smaller bone (radius) in the forearm. A break can occur near the elbow at the radial "head."

Cause:

Radial head fractures are common injuries, occurring in about 20 percent of all acute elbow injuries. They are more frequent in women than in men and occur most often between 30 and 40 years of age.

Approximately 10 percent of all elbow dislocations involve a fracture of the radial head. As the upper arm bone (humerus) and the ulna return to their normal alignment, a piece of the radial head bone could be chipped off (fractured).

Symptoms:

Pain on the outside of the elbow
Swelling in the elbow joint
Difficulty in bending or straightening the elbow accompanied by pain
Inability or difficulty in turning the forearm (palm up to palm down or vice versa)

Treatment:

Radial head fractures are classified according to the degree of displacement (movement from the normal position).

Type I Fractures -
Type I fractures are generally small, like cracks, and the bone pieces remain fitted together. The fracture may not be visible on initial X-rays, but can usually be seen if the X-ray is taken three weeks after the injury. Nonsurgical treatment involves using a splint or sling for a few days, followed by early motion. If too much motion is attempted too quickly, the bones may shift and become displaced.