Journal of Clinical & Experimental Orthopaedics

Isolated Fracture of the Antero-lateral Facet of the Coronoid Process with Elbow Instability: A Case Report

Treatment of elbow injuries can be challenging because of the difficulty to achieve reduction and stability, due to the complexity of both anatomy and pathology. Recent studies have demonstrated that the coronoid process plays a key role in elbow stability. Coronoid process is anterior support that prevents ulna from posterior displacement. For the trauma surgeon, this is well analyzed by Regan and Morrey’s classification, when the fracture is in the coronal plane. Recently O’Driscoll introduced a more comprehensive classification that includes the anteromedial facet lesion, involved in axial loaded and varus trauma of the elbow, as when falling onto outstretched arm with pronation. This concept explains the concomitant injury of the coronoid process and the lateral collateral ligament, a serious problem for the trauma surgeon, leading to potentially and permanent elbow instability.

In this paper, a non-previously described injury: Fracture of the anterolateral facet of the coronoid process with elbow subluxation has been described.

Author(s):

Toni Mansour*, Philippe Leclerc and Laurent Casabianca

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