The Swanson Radial Head Prosthesis

Abstract

In fractures where osteosynthesis was not feasible, prosthetic replacement for the radial head has been resorted to, using Silastic implants (Fig. 1) [1, 2]. Prosthetic replacement is the intervention of choice to avoid the possible complications of resection: e.g. loss of radio-humeral contact, elbow instability, worsening of cubitus valgus (the radial head [3] is, in fact, a secondary stabilizer in opposing valgus stress and it plays a primary role whenever there is a simultaneous impairment of the medial collateral ligament), radial shortening, distal radio-ulnar subdislocation (the interosseous membrane and the triangular fibrocartilage are involved) [4–6]; ossification starting from the resection surface, reduction of elbow movement width, reduction in supinatory excursion, wrist pain, and delayed functional recovery.