Annular ligament reconstruction by suture anchor for treatment of radial head dislocation in children

BACKGROUND We investigated the efficacy of annular ligament reconstruction by suture anchor in the treatment of radial head dislocation (RHD) in children. METHOD A total of 20 RHD children nderwent annular ligament reconstruction surgery using suture anchor. Preoperative and postoperative elbow functions were evaluated according to Broberg and Morrey 100-point scale. Recovery of radial nerve function was assessed using the Chinese Medical Association of Hand Surgery Branch of Upper Limb Functional Assessment Standard. All statistical analyses were performed using SPSS version 17.0 software. RESULTS All 20 RHD children who underwent the procedure were followed up for a median duration of 24 months. At the last follow-up, the average Broberg-Morrey score was 94.3, with 12 children (60.0%) showing excellent outcomes (score range, 95 to 100), 7 children (35.0%) showing good outcomes (score range, 80 to 94), 1 child (5.0%) displayed a fair outcome (score range, 60 to 79), and 0 (0%) poor outcome. A significant difference in the excellent-good rate was observed when the elbow function before surgery was compared to after surgery (χ(2)  = 5.559, P = 0.018). The radial nerve function of the 13 RHD children with radial nerve injury also recovered to normal. Among these 13 RHD children, nine exhibited excellent outcomes, 3 showed good outcomes, 1 displayed a fair outcome, and no patient showed a poor outcome. A significant difference in the excellent-good rate of radial nerve function was also observed when before surgery was compared to after surgery in these RHD children (χ(2)  = 4.887, P = 0.027). CONCLUSION Our results strongly indicated that suture anchor is highly effective for reconstruction of the annular ligament and to promote full functional recovery in RHD children, demonstrating that the procedure is an excellent treatment choice in RHD children.