MY STUPID INJURY - COMMINUTED RADIAL HEAD FRACTURE

COMMINUTED RADIAL HEAD FRACTURE
The problem with this type III of fracture is the way the radial head has to move during elbow motion. When you move your forearm, turning your wrist over, the radial head must rotate within the joint. A fracture usually significantly reduces this movement, causing problems with extension, as well as forearm pronation (palm down) and supination (palm up).


Last May 23, 2013 at when I was going downstairs, I lost my balance at the stepladder. They sent me to the Philippine Orthopedic Center at ER, after seeing the X-Ray’s, the doctor explained that my right elbow was severely displace and broke my radial head into pieces so that I would have to undergo surgery. On that day, temporarily they sent me home with a cast and have an appointment for an Ortho doctor for the next week. For the first 2 days sleeping is a bit difficult still and I wake up with dull pain from the wrist up to the elbow. I also was getting a little numbness in my pinky finger. Every time I intend to go to my bed to have sleep, I couldn't sleep at all and was in almost constant extreme pain the whole time.


Several days past, when we go back to my Ortho Doctor, he said it’s very difficult for him to fix my fracture and he will asked for help to the Chief Doctor first to guide him before doing the surgical treatment. And he suggests having a CT SCAN for my (dominant) right elbow.


CT SCAN RESULT INTERPRETATION: 5-27-13 Multiple plain axial, coronal and sagittal CT images of the right elbow were obtained that revealed the following findings Comminuted fracture of the radial head is noted with separation if the fragments. Radial head divided into 3 with anterior and posterior displacement Tiny osseous fragments are seen which in the elbow joint The proximal ulna and distal humerus are intact Periarticular soft tissue swelling is noted.


June 05, 2013 is the scheduled of my surgical treatment, and I was the first one who is going to the OR for operation, I’m terribly nervous that time and my tears is constantly falling down until i fell asleep because of general anesthesia. 1:15PM when they sent me in the RR, my mom said that the operation last for 4hrs. The following day the Ortho Doctors (the Green Team) went to check me specially my thumb if I can elevate it and explain how hard they perform my operation and the Consultant doctor said that my injury was one of the worst he had seen in his 6 years of service and also mention he get stiff neck during the operation because it was very difficult. With each visit to the doctor, I complained of pain in my elbow, wrist and hand as well as stiffness and numbness.