Forearm floating with a terrible triad in the elbow after fall, case report

• Published in: Trauma case reports Vol. 48; p. 100960
• Main Authors: Guimarães, André Jorge Magalhães, Sapage, Ana Rita, Sousa, Diogo, Reis, João, Lopes, António Lemos, Barbosa, Bruno
• Format: Report
• Language: English
• Published: 01-12-2023
• ISSN: 2352-6440
• DOI: 10.1016/j.tcr.2023.100960

Perilunate fracture dislocation with an elbow dislocation, it is referred to as a floating forearm. Very few cases have been described worldwide. We report a case of a 37-year-old man diagnosed with a floating forearm (trans-scaphoid perilunate fracture dislocation combined with a terrible triad injury), after a fall of the top of an olive tree. Urgent closed reduction of the elbow and wrist was obtained. A double approach to the wrist was used: dorsal approach to fix the scaphoid and to reduce the carpus and a volar approach to release the median nerve and repair the volar capsule. A lateral approach to the elbow was performed to fix the radial head and to repair the lateral collateral ligament. At 3 months postoperative, the patient had no pain in the elbow and in the wrist. He returned to Work with some restriction at 4-month post operatively.