The false equivalent of terrible triad of elbow combined with neurovascular damage in a rugby player - A new case report

Abstract

Terrible triad is a severe traumatic injury of the elbow. We report a new variety of this clinical entity originating from a rare combination of injuries, namely the fracture-dislocation of the right elbow. The symptoms are acute ischemia of the hand with neurological damage following a sport accident suffered by a professional rugby player. We treated him surgically after immediate reduction of the dislocation. The short-term monitoring was clinical, while in the medium-term it was radiological and electrophysiological. On the whole, our (clinical, electrophysiological and radiological) results obtained initially, and medium-term during the last consultation, were satisfactory. The objective of this study is to draw attention to this clinical and radiological variety, as well as to its neurovascular complications and to discuss its therapeutic treatment. During the vascular and neurologic exam we should pay attention to and systematically look for neurovascular complications when treating a similar clinical case.