Your child's humerus is fractured (broken) near the elbow area, just above the joint. This is called a supracondylar (supra CON dy ler) humerus fracture. It is the most common type of elbow fracture and happens most often to children younger than 8 years old.
The Supracondylar fracture of the humerus is a fracture of the distal end of the humerus just above the elbow joint. The transverse section of the shaft of the humerus is somewhat circular in shape which gets more flattered as it descends down to meet the distal end of the humerus.
Overview. A supracondylar fracture is an injury to the humerus, or upper arm bone, at its narrowest point, just above the elbow. Supracondylar fractures are the most common type of upper arm injury in children. They are frequently caused by a fall on an outstretched elbow or a direct blow to the elbow.
A supracondylar humerus fracture is a fracture of the distal humerus just above the elbow joint. The fracture is usually transverse or oblique and above the medial and lateral condyles and epicondyles. This fracture pattern is relatively rare in adults, but is the most common type of elbow fracture in children.
Type 2 – angulation present but a posterior bony hinge remains intact. Type 3 – complete displacement with no bony hinge. Periosteum is usually intact. Type 4 – a controversial category describing a fracture that is unstable in flexion and extension, implying a lack of intact periosteum.
Supracondylar fractures are initially divided into two types, depending on the direction of displacement of the distal fragment:Flexion-type (rare) - distal fragment is displaced anteriorly.Extension-type (98%) - distal fragment is displaced posteriorly.
Medical Definition of supracondylar : of, relating to, affecting, or being the part of a bone situated above a condyle supracondylar osteotomy a supracondylar fracture of the humerus.
0:533:23Supracondylar fracture - radiology video tutorial (x-ray) - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipSince the capitellum is displaced posteriorly in the vast majority of super-continent fractures.MoreSince the capitellum is displaced posteriorly in the vast majority of super-continent fractures. This is an extremely helpful tool for demonstrating. Correct alignment at the elbow joint.
Supracondylar fractures are a common elbow injury in children accounting for 16% of all pediatric fractures [1] and two-thirds of all hospitalizations for pediatric elbow injuries [2].
Pertinent Anatomy. Bone – In children, the supracondylar region consists of a weak, thin bone located in the distal humerus. This area is bordered posteriorly by olecranon fossa, anteriorly by coronoid fossa and on both sides by respective supracondylar ridges.
Supracondylar fractures of the adult humerus are uncommon and present a difficult management problem. In this series of 50 patients better results were obtained by conservative rather than surgical management.