IPSILATERAL MULTIPLE INJURIES OF THE UPPER LIMB

We are reporting an unusual case of ipsilateral multiple injuries of the upper limb. The injuries included fracture humerus associated with radial nerve injury, fracture of both forearm bones, fracture olecranon along with dislocation of the elbow and fracture of the first metacarpal bone. The classification and the plan of management of sideswipe injury are reviewed. To the best of our knowledge this combined multiple injuries have not reported. Bahrain Med Bull 1995;17: Multiple fractures around the elbow are common in sideswipe injuries1. The outcome of these injuries is variable. It can include amputation, elbow arthrodesis, permanent stiffness, and non union2. Campbel classified sideswipe injuries according to the combination of fracture of shafts of ulna and radius, comminuted fracture of head of radius and distal humeral condyles3. Shorbe in 1941 classified it into five groups according to the severity of the condition. Group 1 include only soft tissue involvement, group 2 is the commonest and includes fracture of olecranon process, group 3 is associated with fracture of both radius and ulna, group 4 includes any humeral fracture, and in the severest group 5, there are fracture of all bones around the elbow along with severe soft tissue and neurovascular injuries4. The treatment of combined long bone fractures and dislocations of upper limb has not been thoroughly discussed like individual bone fracture5. We are reporting concomitant ipsilateral fractures of the humerus, olecranon, ulna, radius and first metacarpal bone along with dislocation of the elbow and radial nerve injury in a patient who was involved in a Road Traffic Accident (RTA) with different mechanism of injury. THE CASE A 45 year old male sustained multiple injuries to his left upper limb following RTA. The car turned over to the driver side after colliding with a lamp post. The patient who was driving was not wearing a seat belt