Radial Head Replacement Through a Kocher Approach

PURPOSE: Radial head fractures are some of the most common elbow fractures. Fractures with 3 or more fracture fragments have been shown to have worse outcomes when treated with open reduction and internal fixation (ORIF). Radial head replacement offers an alternative treatment for those more comminuted radial head fractures. METHODS: Three-part radial head fractures make anatomical reduction more difficult to obtain with ORIF. Radial head fractures requiring replacement have shown good clinical outcomes. As a result, radial head arthroplasty offers a good treatment option for 3-or-more-part radial head fractures. RESULTS: This video presents a case of a radial head arthroplasty for a 3-part radial head fracture in a 23-year-old man. The radial head implant provides a smooth and concentric surface for articulation with the capitellum while providing stability to the elbow. CONCLUSIONS: Radial head replacement provides a good alternative to ORIF, producing similar elbow range of motion and providing good stability compared with the contralateral elbow.