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Question
Patient presents with right elbow pain after a fall. What's the diagnosis and what other injury should you look for?
Answer
Displaced fracture of the proximal ulna.
Pearls
- Always look for injury at the radial head when the proximal ulna is fractured, specifically looking for a radial head dislocation; this pattern is known as a Monteggia fracture.
- Remember the mnemonic MUGR (MU-GR)
- Monteggia fracture-dislocation = Ulnar fracture with a proximal radial dislocation
- Galeazzi fracture-dislocation = Radial fracture with a distal radioulnar dislocation
References
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