A rare injury of terrible triad of elbow with ipsilateral wrist fracture - is minimal intervention enough?

Sambhaji Dhane, Mayuresh; Ravishankar, Muniramaiah

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DOI 10.18231/j.ijos.2025.031
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A rare injury of terrible triad of elbow with ipsilateral wrist fracture - is minimal intervention enough?

Author Details:

Mayuresh Sambhaji Dhane ^*

Muniramaiah Ravishankar

Indian Journal of Orthopaedics Surgery. 11(2):161-164, 2025. | 10.18231/j.ijos.2025.031

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The combination of an ipsilateral "terrible triad" injury of the elbow—comprising elbow dislocation, radial head fracture, and coronoid process fracture—with a distal end radius fracture is exceedingly rare. Such a presentation poses significant challenges in diagnosis, surgical planning, and rehabilitation. We report the case of a 50-year-old woman who sustained ipsilateral terrible triad injury of the elbow and distal end radius fracture following a fall from a ladder, landing on her outstretched hand. Radiographic evaluation also revealed a complex injury pattern. The patient underwent closed reduction and internal fixation using K-wire for both the elbow and wrist along with additional ligamento-taxis using external fixator for the wrist injuries. With a stable joint and active range of motion, the patient demonstrated a satisfactory functional improvement following an uncomplicated postoperative recovery. This case emphasizes the potential of K-wire fixation as a viable and minimally invasive method as an alternative in managing such a complex upper limb injuries.

Keywords: Radial head fracture, Coronoid process fracture, Elbow fracture-dislocation, K-wire.

References

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Indian Journal of Orthopaedics Surgery

A rare injury of terrible triad of elbow with ipsilateral wrist fracture - is minimal intervention enough?

Author Details: Mayuresh Sambhaji Dhane * Muniramaiah Ravishankar

References

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Author Details:

Mayuresh Sambhaji Dhane ^*

Muniramaiah Ravishankar