Case Report
Copyright ©The Author(s) 2021. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.
World J Clin Cases. Apr 16, 2021; 9(11): 2595-2601
Published online Apr 16, 2021. doi: 10.12998/wjcc.v9.i11.2595
Minimally invasive treatment of forearm double fracture in adult using Acumed forearm intramedullary nail: A case report
Ji-Chao Liu, Bing-Zhe Huang, Jie Ding, Xiao-Jia Mu, Yun-Long Li, Cheng-Dong Piao
Ji-Chao Liu, Bing-Zhe Huang, Xiao-Jia Mu, Yun-Long Li, Cheng-Dong Piao, Department of Orthopedics, The Second Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun 130041, Jilin Province, China
Jie Ding, Department of Stomatology, The Affiliated Hospital of Changchun University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Changchun 130021, Jilin Province, China
Author contributions: Liu JC and Huang BZ conducted the literature review; Liu JC and Ding J contributed to the drafting of the manuscript; Mu XJ collected the medical records of this case; Li YL assisted in revising the manuscript; Piao CD was the chief surgeon of the patient; and Piao CD was responsible for important revisions of the manuscript; All authors have read and approved the final version of the manuscript.
Informed consent statement: Informed written consent was obtained from the patient for publication of this report and any accompanying images.
Conflict-of-interest statement: The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare.
CARE Checklist (2016) statement: The authors have read the CARE Checklist (2016), and the manuscript was prepared and revised according to the CARE Checklist (2016).
Open-Access: This article is an open-access article that was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: http://creativecommons.org/Licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Corresponding author: Cheng-Dong Piao, MD, Chief Doctor, Department of Orthopedics, The Second Hospital of Jilin University, No. 218 Ziqiang Road, Nanguan Street, Changchun 130041, Jilin Province, China. pucd@jlu.edu.cn
Received: December 1, 2020
Peer-review started: December 1, 2020
First decision: December 21, 2020
Revised: December 28, 2020
Accepted: February 19, 2021
Article in press: February 19, 2021
Published online: April 16, 2021
Abstract
BACKGROUND

Currently, open reduction internal fixation is the conventional surgical method for treatment of double ulna and radius fracture. However, open reduction is associated with a high risk of complications. This case of forearm double fracture involved a patient treated using an Acumed intramedullary nail. The patient experienced good follow-up outcomes. The Acumed forearm intramedullary nail enables early functional exercise and hastens healing of the fracture. Few studies have reported on the use of this approach for the treatment of fractures.

CASE SUMMARY

A 23-year-old male patient was admitted to hospital after 5 h of pain, swelling, and limited activity of left forearm caused by a careless fall. Physical examination showed stable basic vital signs, swelling of the left forearm, and severe pain when pressing on the injured part of the forearm. Further, friction was felt at the broken end of the bone; the skin was not punctured. Movement of the left hand was normal, and the left radial artery pulse was normal. Three-dimensional computed tomography examination showed an ulna fracture of the left forearm and comminuted fracture of the radius. The fracture was located in the upper third of the radius, with significant displacement on the fracture side. Clinical diagnosis further confirmed the left radius comminuted fracture and ulna fracture. After analyzing the fracture pattern, age, and other patient characteristics, we chose an Acumed nail for treatment and achieved good follow-up outcomes.

CONCLUSION

Acumed forearm intramedullary nail for fixation of ulna and radius fracture reduced complication risk and resulted in good follow-up outcomes.

Keywords: Intramedullary nail, Forearm double fracture, Minimally invasive approach, Delayed fracture healing, Soft tissue injury, Case report

Core Tip: Currently, open reduction internal fixation is the conventional surgical method for treatment of ulna and radius double fracture. However, that approach causes soft tissue damage of blood vessels, the periosteum, and the radial nerve. In addition, performing open reduction and internal fixation using a plate for treatment of double fractures of radius and ulna has side effects and complications. The Acumed forearm rod system was used in this patient for treatment of ulna and radius fracture with minimally invasive surgery; good follow-up outcomes were achieved.