[Surgical treatment of Essex-Lopresti injury].
OBJECTIVE
To summarize operative procedure and the effectiveness of open reduction with internal fixation or radial head replacement for the treatment of Essex-Lopresti injury.


METHODS
Between November 2002 and October 2010, 10 patients with Essex-Lopresti injury were treated. There were 8 males and 2 females with a mean age of 36 years (range, 20-56 years). Eight cases were fresh closed fracture within 2 days. According to Mason classification, 5 fracture were type II, 3 were type III. The other 2 cases were old fracture within 3 months. Wrist joint X-ray revealed that all the patients had distal radioulnar joint dislocation. Open reduction with internal mini-plate or absorbable screw fixation was performed in 5 cases, and radial head replacement in 5 cases; meanwhile, the distal radioulnar joint was reduced and fixed.


RESULTS
All incisions healed by first intention without infection or bone nonunion. The patients were followed up 7 to 24 months with an average of 14.7 months. The X-ray films showed fracture healing at 9-20 weeks (mean, 16.3 weeks); distal radioulnar joint was stable without shortening or shift of proximal radius. According to elbow clinical evaluation system, the results were excellent in 5 cases, good in 3 cases, and fair in 2 cases. According to wrist clinical evaluation, the results were excellent in 7 cases, good in 2 cases, and fair in 1 case. All patients had good elbow stability, and recovered quickly.


CONCLUSIONS
Early diagnosis, operation, and functional exercises are important to obtain an excellent result in treating Essex-Lopresti injury.
Department of Articular Surgery, Affiliated Hospital of Medical College of Qingdao University, Qingdao Shandong 266003, PR China.
Youliang
Y
Shen
Tengbo
T
Yu
Kang
K
Sun
Jinzhao
J
Liu
Chao
C
Qi
D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D005593:Fracture Fixation, Internal / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D018460:Fractures, Comminuted / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D016268:Internal Fixators; D004204:Joint Dislocations / Q000601:surgery; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D019919:Prosthesis Implantation; D011885:Radius Fractures / Q000601:surgery*; D014955:Wrist Joint; D055815:Young Adult