CASE REPORT   

Minerva Ortopedica e Traumatologica 2020 March;71(1):32-5

DOI: 10.23736/S0394-3410.19.03951-1

Copyright © 2019 EDIZIONI MINERVA MEDICA

lingua: Inglese

Olecranon bone loss: reconstruction with navicular not vascularized osteo-chondral autograft in a multi-fractured patient

Chiara ARRIGONI ¹ ✉, Bruno BATTISTON ²

¹ Division of Pediatric Orthopedics and Traumatology, AON Santi Biagio e Antonio e Cesare Arrigo, Alessandria, Italy; ² Division of Upper Limb Traumatology and Hand Surgery, CTO Hospital, Città della Salute e della Scienza, Turin, Italy

Olecranon multifragmentary fractures may represent a challenge for orthopedic. They need, indeed, a precise anatomical reconstruction and a stable osteosynthesis allowing an early and fast mobilization to get a good functional elbow recovery. When a bone loss is to be managed, different reconstructive techniques using grafts from iliac crest, neighboring bones or ribs are described. We report the case of a large olecranon bone loss in which a partial navicular not vascularized osteochondral autograft was used to fill the bone gap and to reconstruct the articular surface. At 1 year follow up the fracture healed without graft reabsorption with some elbow stiffness due to some peri-articular calcifications. The patient was therefore subjected to surgery for devices removal and elbow arthrolysis, withdrawing calcifications and interposing in the joint a bank tendon graft; immediately post-op elbow range of motion was quite complete. We believe that a tarsal scaphoid combined osteo-chondral graft can be used in these cases of complex olecranon defects because of its shape that can simulate the articular surface of the olecranon with good results.

KEY WORDS: Olecranon process; Tarsal bones; Autografts