Failure of the interosseous membrane to heal with immobilization, pinning of the distal radioulnar joint, and bipolar radial head replacement in a case of Essex-Lopresti injury: case report

Abstract

The authors report a case of a patient with complex radial head and ulnar shaft fractures with an associated tear of the interosseous membrane, which failed to heal despite open reduction internal fixation of the ulna, a bipolar radial head replacement, and cross pinning of the distal radioulnar joint. This case demonstrates that failure of the interosseous membrane can occur even in a properly replaced bipolar radial head with adequate immobilization of the forearm and pinning of the distal radioulnar joint.