Indirect Reduction and Intramedullary Pinning in Severely Displaced Radial Neck Fractures in Children

Fractures of the radial neck account for 5-10% of traumatic lesions of the elbow in the child. Conservative method of reduction may fail to reduce severely displaced fractures. Open reduction of severely displaced radial neck fractures is associated with a high incidence of complications. The present study describes the results achieved after closed and indirect reduction of the severely displaced radial head using a 2-mm K-wire passed intramedullary from near the radial styloid. The bent tip of the K-wire was used to manipulate the displaced head back to the shaft without opening the fracture site. The indirect reduction of the radial head using bent intramedullary K-wire is a simple, minimally invasive method, easy to perform, and obtains encouraging results with few complications. Intramedullary pin also achieves fixation of the radial head after reduction and prevents its secondary displacement.