Treatment of displaced segmental radial-head fractures. Long-term follow-up.

We did a retrospective study of forty segmental fractures of the radial head in thirty-nine patients. Good results were achieved in twenty of thirty-four fractures with non-operative treatment. In six patients the radial head was excised totally and in only one was a good result achieved. The average follow-up was 10.0 years. Only rarely was there deterioration of the short-term results. The prognosis was not affected by the extent of the depression, the size of the fragment, or the degree of comminution. We concluded that the only indication for operation in this type of fracture is a loose fragment in the joint.