Corrective osteotomy through fracture site and internal fixation with headless screws for type I (Hahn-Steinthal) capitellar malunion

Abstract

A 20-year-old woman presented 6 months after an initial injury to her left elbow with pain and restricted movements. She was diagnosed with a type I malunited (Hahn-Steinthal) type of capitellum fracture through radiographic studies. Classically, the treatment has been excision of the fragment, which carries a risk of valgus instability of the elbow and late osteoarthrosis. We report a case of malunited type I capitellum fracture, for which corrective osteotomy through fracture site, open reduction and internal fixation was done 6 months following missed trauma. At 24 months follow-up the capitellum fracture had united and the patient has a stable elbow and excellent range of motion. Our case demonstrates that for type I malunited capitellum fractures corrective osteotomy through fracture site and internal fixation rather than excision of the fragment in young can result in successful union and stable elbow. Copyright 2013 BMJ Publishing Group. All rights reserved.