The Floating Upper Limb: Multiple Injuries Involving Ipsilateral, Proximal, Humeral, Supracondylar, and Distal Radial Limb

Clin Orthop Surg. 2016 Sep;8(3):345-8. doi: 10.4055/cios.2016.8.3.345. Epub 2016 Aug 10.

Abstract

Floating arm injury represents a common yet complicated injury of the childhood severely associated with limb deformation and even morbidity, if not precisely addressed and credibly operated. Here, we report a rare floating upper limb case of a 9-year-old boy with multiple injuries of ipsilateral proximal humeral, supracondylar and distal radial limb. This is the first report to document such a combined floating elbow and floating arm injury in the same limb. In this report, we discuss the surgical procedures used and recovery of the patient monitored to ascertain the effectiveness of the method in limb reorganisation.

Keywords: Humeral fractures; Kirschner wires; Multiple trauma.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Accidental Falls
  • Bone Wires*
  • Child
  • Fracture Fixation
  • Humans
  • Humeral Fractures*
  • Male
  • Multiple Trauma
  • Radiography
  • Radius Fractures*
  • Upper Extremity* / diagnostic imaging
  • Upper Extremity* / injuries
  • Upper Extremity* / surgery