The management of knee flexion contractures in haemophilia: brief report.

VOL. 71-B, No. 2, MARCH 1989 repair of the annular ligament difficult and hinder rotation of the forearm. Postoperatively, the elbow is rested in a long-arm plaster slab until the drain is removed. A long-arm hinged brace is then applied ; this allows free pronation and supination as well as elbow flexion from 30 to 90#{176}. At the end of the fourth week, full elbow movement is allowed and the brace is taken off at the end of the sixth week. Illustrative cases. A 1 3 year-old boy sustained the injury shown in Figure 2. Closed reduction failed, so open reduction and internal fixation was performed by the method described (Fig. 3). At three months he had full range of movement in the elbow and forearm, and radiographs at six months showed a well preserved epiphysis in the radial head. Case 2. A 23-year-old member of the Hong Kong national fencing squad sustained a type II fracture of the radial neck and a transverse fracture of the radial head. The radial neck fracture was fixed as described, but 2.7 mm screws were needed. The radial head fracture was fixed with screws at the same time. After routine postoperative treatment he regained full movement and at the end of three months was able to compete in the Olympic selection match.