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Published in Clare E. Milner, Functional Anatomy for Sport and Exercise, 2019
The elbow consists of three joints all within the same joint capsule. The major articulation of the elbow is the hinge joint between the humerus of the upper arm and the ulna of the forearm. This ulnohumeral joint is responsible for flexion-extension of the elbow joint. Mediolateral movement at the joint is prevented by its bony structure (see planes and axes of movement). The distal end of the humerus, the trochlea, sits in the trochlear notch at the proximal end of the ulna. The second joint at the elbow is between the radius of the forearm and the humerus. This radiohumeral joint is not constrained by its bony structure. It is the articulation between the capitulum and the head of the radius. The radiohumeral joint would be susceptible to dislocation if the thick annular ligament, which forms a ring around the proximal end of the radius, was not present to stabilize it. The third joint at the elbow, the proximal radioulnar joint, between the radial head and the ulnar notch, enables pronation-supination of the forearm and, therefore, repositions the hand about the long axis of the upper limb.
Biomechanics and Joint Replacement of the Shoulder and Elbow
Published in Manoj Ramachandran, Tom Nunn, Basic Orthopaedic Sciences, 2018
Mark Falworth, Prakash Jayakumar, Simon Lambert
The proximal radioulnar joint consists of the articulation between the side of the radial head and the radial notch of the ulna. The joint is stabilized by the annular ligament and the normal range of movement includes 85° of supination to 75° of pronation from neutral. The axis of forearm rotation runs through the centre of the radial head and the capitellum.
Injuries of the elbow and forearm
Published in Ashley W. Blom, David Warwick, Michael R. Whitehouse, Apley and Solomon’s System of Orthopaedics and Trauma, 2017
Adam Watts, David Warwick, Mike Uglow, Joanna Thomas
The injury described by Monteggia in the early 19th century (without benefit of X-rays!) was a fracture of the shaft of the ulna associated with anterior dislocation of the proximal radioulnar joint; the radiocapitellar joint is inevitably dislocated or subluxated as well. More recently the definition has been extended to embrace almost any fracture of the ulna associated with dislocation of the radiocapitellar joint, including transolecranon fractures in which the proximal radioulnar joint remains intact. If the ulnar shaft fracture is angulated with the apex anterior (the commonest type), the radial head is displaced anteriorly and is usually intact; if the fracture apex is posterior, the radial is usually fractured on the capitellum but may be dislocated posteriorly, this carries a worse prognosis. In children, the ulnar injury may be an incomplete fracture (greenstick or plastic deformation of the shaft).
Synostosis of the interphalangeal joint: an uncommon cause of post-fracture digital stiffness
Published in Case Reports in Plastic Surgery and Hand Surgery, 2021
Peter Y. W. Chan, Peter S. H. Chan
Experience with early excision of synostosis at the proximal radioulnar joint of the elbow suggests that waiting for radiographic maturity is not needed [12]. Early excision between 6 and 12 months without radiographic maturity did not increase risk of recurrence. The authors state that associated soft tissue contracture may be minimized with early resection. In our case, we felt that waiting for radiographic maturity was prudent as any associated soft tissue structures, specifically collateral ligaments and dorsal capsule, could be released simply at the time of resection.