HealthInfo Canterbury
Broken radial head
Pito kapiti tāwhatiwhati
The radial head is the top of your radius, one of the two bones in your forearm. A broken radial head (radial head fracture) means you've broken this bone just below your elbow.
A broken radial head usually happens from falling onto an outstretched hand. Serious accidents, such as car accidents, motorcycle accidents or falls from a ladder cause more serious breaks.
Your radial head can break in many different ways and some breaks are worse than others.
Symptoms of a broken radial head
If you've broken your radial head, your elbow will be painful and swollen. It may be hard to bend your arm or get it fully straight and to turn your hand palm up or palm down. Your fingers may tingle or your fingertips may be numb, which might mean your elbow is also dislocated and is stretching the nerve. Make sure you remove any rings from your fingers before they start to swell.
If you think you may have broken a bone in your elbow, it's important to seek treatment straight away, especially if you have any tingling or numbness as delays can lead to permanent nerve damage.
Diagnosing a broken radial head
Your doctor will ask about how your injury happened, look at your elbow and arm and take X-rays to find out which bone is broken and what kind of break it is. You may also need a CT scan, which can show a complex break more clearly or an MRI to show any soft tissue injury.
Self-care for a broken radial head
There are some things you can do to help your recovery.
- If you smoke, stop smoking, as continuing to smoke may slow down your healing.
- Avoid any heavy lifting, as this will only increase your pain and slow your recovery.
- Take regular pain relief. The best pain relief is paracetamol (Panadol). Take two tablets every four hours but no more than eight tablets a day. Avoid anti-inflammatories, as they may slow down how quickly your bones heal.
- Try to reduce any swelling as the more swollen your elbow is, the more painful it will be. Keep your elbow raised (elevated) above the level of your heart whenever possible. Also apply ice (wrapped in a towel or plastic bag) to your elbow for 15 minutes at a time every two to four hours. Don't put ice directly on your skin as this can burn it.
On the next page: Treating a broken radial head
Written by HealthInfo clinical advisers. Last reviewed July 2022.
Sources
Review key: HISHI-13267
