Distal Humeral Fracture With Associated Triceps Tendon Avulsion in a Renal Transplant Recipient

Abstract

Although distal humeral fractures are well described in the literature, concomitant distal triceps avulsion has not previously been reported. One population that warrants a high index of suspicion for tendon injury after trauma is patients with renal disease. Clinical tests on such patients may yield equivocal results, and in that setting, magnetic resonance imaging may be useful in the diagnosis of concomitant tendon injury. Postoperative rehabilitation is a challenge considering that the old standard of care for isolated triceps avulsions is several weeks of immobilization and that early motion is recommended for open reduction and internal fixation of distal humeral fractures. More recent literature supports early active-assisted range-of-motion (ROM) elbow exercises after triceps tendon repair, and our case supports those recommendations.A 48-year-old, right-hand-dominant man, who was a living-related kidney transplant recipient 3 years previously, presented with radiographic evidence of an intra-articular distal humeral fracture. The patient was rejecting his kidney at the time of injury and was receiving 50 mg of prednisone daily. The patient underwent open reduction and internal fixation of the distal humeral fracture and concomitant triceps repair. Postoperatively, active-assisted and passive ROM elbow exercises were begun. At 3-year follow-up, the patient had 10 degrees to 120 degrees of motion at the elbow, with full supination and pronation.