Ligament Reconstruction for Recurrent Anterior Dislocation of the Radial Head

Abstract

Isolated recurrent dislocation of the radial head (RH) is very rare, and there have been few reports describing the surgical treatment of this injury. We herein report the case of a 13-year-old girl who underwent ligament reconstruction surgery for isolated recurrent RH dislocation. Her symptoms included pain and apprehension at the elbow with the forearm in supination. A radiologic examination revealed anterior dislocation of the RH with the forearm in supination but complete reduction with the forearm in neutral to pronated positions. Surgical treatment to reconstruct the annular ligament and facilitate the radial collateral ligament was performed using an autograft with internal brace augmentation. At a 12-month follow-up examination, the patient had asymptomatic stability with recovery to sports activities. This case report describes a novel technique for the treatment of a rare pathological condition of the elbow.