Most of the limitation of elbow flexion and extension after radial head fracture is caused by serious fracture injury, adhesion of periarticular tissues, traumatic arthritis and so on.
1. Serious fracture injury: radial head fracture mostly occurs during fall or sports, with high impact force. When the fracture injury is serious, such as comminuted fracture, it will be accompanied by serious injury of periarticular tissues and articular surfaces, which will affect the function of the elbow joint and lead to limitation of flexion and extension.
2. Adhesion of periarticular tissues: after radial head fracture, after external fixation by manipulation or internal fixation by surgical incision, the elbow joint is fixed for a long time, which leads to stiffness of the joints and adhesion of the surrounding soft tissues, thus affecting the elbow joint’s function of flexion and extension.
3. Traumatic arthritis: due to the fracture, the elbow joint surface is uneven, and in the later activities, the long-term wear and tear of the joint surface can lead to traumatic arthritis, which affects the normal activities of the elbow joint and limits the extension and flexion functions.
If the elbow flexion and extension functions are limited after the radial head fracture, it is recommended that the patient go to the hospital in time to improve the examination and clarify the condition, and then the professional doctor will give targeted treatment for the condition.