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Updated: May 29, 2026
Development of a Novel Internal Fixation Model for Rat Radial Fractures: Fracture Healing Assessment and Dorsal Root Ganglion Isolation
Published on: March 13, 2026
Magnetic resonance imaging in radial head fractures: most associated injuries are not clinically relevant
Laurens Kaas1, Roger P van Riet, Jeroen L Turkenburg
1Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Academic Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. laurenskaas@hotmail.com
Background:
Recent studies report that magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) shows a high incidence of associated injuries in patients with a radial head fracture. This retrospective study describes the clinical relevance of these injuries.
Materials And Methods:
Forty patients with 42 radial head fractures underwent a MRI scan after a mean of 7.0 days after trauma and were reviewed after a mean of 13.3 months.
Results:
MRI showed 24 of 42 elbows had a lateral collateral ligament (LCL) lesion, 1 had a medial collateral ligament (MCL) and LCL lesion, 16 had an injury of the capitellum, 1 had a coronoid fracture, and 2 had loose osteochondral fragments. Clinical evaluation after a mean of 13.3 months showed that 3 elbows had clinical MCL or LCL laxity, of which 2 elbows had no ligamentous injuries diagnosed with MRI. One elbow with a loose osteochondral fragment showed infrequent elbow locking. The mean Mayo Elbow Performance Scale was 97.5 (range, 80-100) after a mean of 13.3 months after trauma, with no significant difference between patients with and without associated injuries (P = .8).
Conclusion:
Most injuries found with MRI in patients with radial head fractures are not symptomatic or of clinical importance in short-term follow-up.
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