Fracture of the Olecranon Process of the Ulna

Fracture of the olecranon process of the ulna not infrequently results in some degree of loss of flexion and extension of the elbow joint. Particularly is this so in elderly persons and in patients subjected to long immobilization with the elbow in extension. So prolonged is the recovery from treatment by immobilization in extension that this treatment has been almost abandoned. Open reduction and fixation of the fractured fragment to the shaft of the ulna in order to permit early mobilization of the elbow has superseded the closed method of treatment. Many different types of suture, including catgut, wire and fascia, have been advised and many ingenious screws for fixation of the olecranon fragment have been devised. Even with these types of treatment, which permit relatively early mobilization of the joint, some loss of motion is the rule in the older patient, and is not infrequent in younger patients. After