A 30-year-old man sustains a closed posterior dislocation of the elbow in a road traffic accident. After reduction, he has diminished sensation along the medial border of the hand and weakness of intrinsic muscles. Which structure is most commonly injured in elbow dislocation?
- A Median nerve at the cubital fossa
- B Radial nerve in the spiral groove
- C Ulnar nerve at the cubital tunnel ✓
- D Brachial artery just distal to the pronator teres
Correct answer: C. Ulnar nerve at the cubital tunnel
Explanation
Posterior dislocation is the commonest direction of elbow dislocation, and the ulnar nerve is the most frequently injured nerve because it lies directly behind the medial epicondyle, over which the coronoid process and trochlea lever during displacement. Median nerve injury and brachial artery injury occur but are less common and are classically linked to open dislocations or anterior dislocation. Radial nerve injury is rare here and is far more typical of humeral shaft fractures.
Reference: Rockwood and Green's Fractures in Adults, 9th ed.
High-yield for: NEET PGINI-CETNExTFMGEUSMLEPLABMRCP
Written and medically reviewed by the StethoPrep medical team.