A new technique for treatment of medial epicondyle fracture with displacement into the elbow joint

An elbow dislocation in a child with missed medial epicondyle fracture and late ulnar nerve palsy

Elbow dislocations associated with a medial epicondyle fracture and ulnar nerve palsy are uncommon injuries. We present the case of an 11-year-old girl with an elbow dislocation treated by closed manual reduction. The medial epicondyle fracture was missed initially until she developed an ulnar nerve palsy 2 months later. Intraoperatively we discovered the bony epicondyle piercing the joint capsule and compressing the ulnar nerve. Removal of the bony fragment relieved her symptoms and she returned to normal activities at 1 year follow-up. We would like to highlight this rare occurrence and present the detailed history and management of this case.

Operative versus non-operative management of pediatric medial epicondyle fractures: a systematic review

PURPOSE

There is ongoing debate about the management of medial epicondyle fractures in the pediatric population. This systematic review evaluated non-operative versus operative treatment of medial epicondyle fractures in pediatric and adolescent patients over the last six decades.

METHODS

A systematic review of the available literature was performed. Frequency-weighted mean union times were used to compare union rates for closed versus open treatments. Moreover, functional outcomes and range-of-motion variables were correlated with varying treatment modalities. Any complications, including ulnar nerve symptoms, pain, instability, infection, and residual deformity, were cataloged.

RESULTS

Fourteen studies, encompassing 498 patients, met the inclusion/exclusion criteria. There were 261 males and 132 female patients; the frequency-weighted average age was 11.93 years. The follow-up range was 6-216 months. Under the cumulative random effects model, the odds of union with operative fixation was 9.33 times the odds of union with non-operative treatment (P < 0.0001). There was no significant difference between operative and non-operative treatments in terms of pain at final follow-up (P = 0.73) or ulnar nerve symptoms (P = 0.412).

CONCLUSIONS

Operative treatment affords a significantly higher union rate over the non-operative management of medial epicondyle fractures. There was no difference in pain at final follow-up between operative and non-operative treatments. As surgical indications evolve, and the functional demands of pediatric patients increase, surgical fixation should be strongly considered to achieve stable fixation and bony union.