LATE CORRECTION MALUNITED INTERCONDYLAR HUMERAL FRACTURES - INTRAARTICULAR OSTEOTOMY AND TRICORTICAL, BONE-GRAFTING

We treated three patients with malunion after comminuted intercondylar fractures of the humerus by intra-articular derotational opening-wedg e osteotomy and the insertion of a tricortical iliac bone graft. Two p atients required additional operations, including interposition arthro plasty and hardware removal. A mean are of increased motion of 65 degr ees was achieved in flexion and extension in two patients and a more f unctional are in the third. Although this is viewed as a salvage proce dure in patients who are thought to be too young for elbow arthroplast y, none of the three patients has significant pain and none has requir ed total elbow arthroplasty after an average follow-up of 7.6 years.