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Hand & Upper Limb
intermediate
X-Type

Terrible Triad Elbow Injury

Elbow Trauma

A 42-year-old woman falls on her outstretched hand during hiking. She presents with a grossly deformed elbow that was reduced in the field. Post-reduction radiographs show a radial head fracture, coronoid fracture, and residual posterolateral subluxation of the elbow. CT confirms a comminuted radial head fracture and a coronoid tip fracture involving approximately 30% of the coronoid height. There is no medial-sided bony injury. Regarding the terrible triad injury of the elbow:

Mark each as TRUE or FALSE

A

The terrible triad consists of elbow dislocation, radial head fracture, and coronoid fracture; the m...

B

The coronoid is the primary bony restraint to posterior elbow dislocation; the Regan-Morrey classifi...

C

The terrible triad includes elbow dislocation, olecranon fracture, and capitellar fracture; the mech...

D

Surgical treatment follows a systematic approach: 1) coronoid fracture fixation (suture lasso or scr...

E

Outcomes depend on achieving concentric stable reduction with early motion; complications include re...

Answer the questions to see explanations

Click T (True) or F (False) for each option