Consequences of a fracture through a minimally ossified apophysis of the olecranon

The case of a 12-year old boy with a missed olecranon fracture after an elb ow trauma is presented. Knowledge of the ossification patterns around the e lbow is essential in evaluating elbow trauma in children, Certain fractures of the immature elbow present diagnostic difficulty, which can lead to mis sed or delayed diagnosis, with possible permanent functional loss that time ly diagnosis and treatment might avoid. This is particularly true for those fractures running through unossified portions of the elbow. Such a case is described.