Transolecranon Exposure of Monteggia Variant Fracture-dislocations of the Elbow

Posterior Monteggia fracture-dislocations are uncommon injuries that can result from a fall onto an outstretched hand. Often, these injuries are associated with coronoid and/or radial head fractures. When this is the case, direct fixation can require 3 separate fascial incisions: posterior to address the proximal ulnar fracture, lateral to address the radial head fracture, and medial to address the coronoid fracture. We illustrate a transolecranon surgical approach for fixation of a type IIA posterior Monteggia fracture-dislocation with associated radial head and coronoid fractures. In this approach, the 3 associated fractures can be addressed through a single posterior incision, thereby minimizing soft tissue disruption around the elbow.