Deformity following distal humeral fracture in childhood

We are reporting five cases of a seldom-reported complication following fracture of the distal end of the humerus during childhood. The complication consists of dissolution of a variable portion of the trochlea at a variable time after fracture. The fractures ranged from non-displaced to severely displaced supra-condylar fractures along with a lateral condylar fracture and a Salter-Harris Type-I fracture. The severity of the fracture did not correlate with the severity of the deformity. When the defect in the trochlea was wide enough to permit migration of the ulna proximally, the range of flexion and extension was severely affected. Excision of the olecranon in one twelve-year-old boy resulted in a moderate increase in extension.