Olecranon Apophyseal Nonunion in Adolescent Judo Players: A Report of Two Cases.

Kohei Yamaura,Takeshi Kokubu,Ryosuke Kuroda,Yutaka Mifune,Atsuyuki Inui,Yasuhiro Ueda,Shintaro Mukohara,Hanako Nishimoto,Takashi Kurosawa,Takeshi Kataoka

doi:10.1155/2018/8256074

Abstract

Olecranon apophyseal nonunion is an elbow injury from overuse that affects adolescent athletes such as baseball pitchers who participate in overhead throwing sports. However, such injury is rare in collision sports. Here, we report two patients with this condition who are Judo athletes. The purpose of this report was to describe three elbows with olecranon apophyseal nonunion in two adolescent patients participating in Judo. This is a case series; the level of evidence is 4. Two 15-year-old patients were evaluated. One suffered from unilateral and the other from bilateral chronic posterior elbow pain. They were diagnosed with olecranon apophyseal nonunion, which was treated using internal fixation and bone grafting. Radiographic evidence of the apophyseal union was observed four months postsurgery. Two elbows were treated with tension band wiring, then they underwent hardware removal six months postsurgery. Both patients returned to their previous levels of activities six months postsurgery. Internal fixation using autologous bone grafting was a useful treatment for these Judo athletes with olecranon apophyseal nonunion.

Highlights

Elbow injuries frequently occur in adolescent athletes participating in overhead throwing sports [1,2,3]
The lateral radiographs of the three elbows one year after surgery demonstrated the union of the olecranon apophyseal plate
Torg and Moyer reported the mechanisms of this injury. They suggested that the forceful contraction of the triceps muscle causes the olecranon apophysis to separate from its apophyseal plate [2]

Summary

Introduction

Elbow injuries frequently occur in adolescent athletes participating in overhead throwing sports [1,2,3]. Pain in an elbow injury from overuse is generally localized on the medial side. Occurring injuries include medial epicondylitis, avulsion fracture of the medial epicondyle, injuries to the medial collateral ligament, and ulnar neuritis [4, 5]. Olecranon stress fracture or apophyseal nonunion are overuse injuries that occur less frequently on the posterior side of the elbow. Waris first reported one case of an olecranon apophyseal stress fracture nonunion in young javelin throwers in 1946 [6]. Olecranon apophyseal stress fracture has not yet been reported in combat sports athletes. We report two adolescent Judo athletes with chronic posterior elbow pain. Olecranon apophyseal nonunion was diagnosed and treated using open reduction and internal fixation (ORIF)

Objectives

Results

Conclusion