Pre-operative soft tissue injuries as independent predictors of elbow stiffness after radial head fracture fixation: a pilot study

Background Postoperative elbow stiffness is a common and debilitating complication following open reduction and internal fixation (ORIF) for displaced radial head fractures. The relative contributions of postoperative immobilization and intrinsic soft tissue damage remain debated. The purpose of this pilot study was to generate preliminary data on this relationship to inform the design of future, definitive research. Methods This study retrospectively reviewed 45 patients who underwent ORIF for displaced radial head fractures. Preoperative magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was used to identify injuries to the anterior capsule (AC), posterior band of the medial collateral ligament (pMCL), and lateral collateral ligament complex (LCLC). Primary outcomes were final range of motion (ROM). For descriptive purposes, patients were categorized by immobilization duration (