Radial head replacement surgery: 8 weeks post-op

I finally have the sling off and am seeing some progress! In this episode I show off my scar, physio moves and talk about recovery

[@aegdahl]

How are you doing these days? I had my radial head replaced 8 months ago. I’ve been plateaued at 30 degrees extension for 3 months, though my therapists can push me to 15 degrees. Pronation is back to normal, supination is about 10-15 degrees from normal. I am really hoping I can get my ROM to 10-15 degrees but it gets so frustrating. Curious to see how you’ve improved years later. Does it improve still slowly? I need the encouragement!!!

[@ankitasarkar554]

What about your flexion. Can you bend your hand and bring it towards your shoulder? Are you completely recovered now?

[@lorraineglover1918]

Omg I’m 6-7 weeks post op and feel like I have no progress. Has 2 surgeries and have to get plate stabilizer removed and my scar is way longer I wish mine was small like yours

[@mickeyhunt2150]

I am 6 weeks post op and my extension is crap. I would say I've lost a good 40c of extension.

[@aryungurueva4083]

​@@mickeyhunt2150 how is your arm now? Extension progress?

[@mickeyhunt2150]

@aryungurueva4083 I'm now 6 months post op and I have lost the last 15 degrees of extension and maybe the last 5 degrees at the top..... I have done physio literally everyday

[@andreamaejaro]

@@mickeyhunt2150how’s ur arm now? Any improvements in ur range of motion?

[@mickeyhunt2150]

@@andreamaejaro yeah I ended up loosing around 20 degrees at the bottom and around 5 degrees at the top. However i don’t notice it at all. I actually play golf 3 times a week now as well

[@janvinaik5072]

Anyone else with same surgery and recovery?? I'm in the same situation roo

[@mickeyhunt2150]

I'm am 6 weeks post op mate with a much bigger scar. I had a replacement radial head, and a type 3 fracture of the joint. Just trying to get some extension back and it's hard

[@janvinaik5072]

@@mickeyhunt2150 me too im whole 2 month's in after my right hand elbow radial head replacement surgery, screw's been inserted and idk how long it will get for me to get my full motion back. It's getting scary and I'm loosing my hopes

[@mickeyhunt2150]

@@janvinaik5072 don't loose hope my surgeon has said it's 3 to 6 months to achieve this. Patience is key.

[@janvinaik5072]

@@mickeyhunt2150 what about you, what happened? What surgery? How far u r in? Progress?

[@mickeyhunt2150]

@@janvinaik5072 fell off my mountain bike and had a type 3 fracture of my radius and radial head. There was so many prices they couldn't put it back together so had to have it replaced. This was 6 weeks ago yesterday.

[@jasonkilbourn4723]

Doing therapy now,still alot of tightness in my elbow and swelling in my hand been 9 weeks now

[@sausepsychiatrist]

I am one month post surgery undergoing physiotherapy

[@jackrose3550]

Hi Today is Sunday and last Monday so 6 days ago I had radial head replacement (the head was shattered in 5 pieces) and lateral ligament repair. I also had the nerve lock and full body anastesy, so very similar to you. I'm taking Co-Dramol that's all they gave me but because of excruciating pain that started on Wednesday I'm also taking ibuprofen. You seemed to do well with not having much pain after operation but I am in imaginable excruciating pain to the point I scream. 111 was useless on the phone. I also have swollen puffed up hand and fingers. Is anyone out there who's experienced such pain after elbow operation? And what did you do? Thanks in advance.

[@bozbftermathz338]

Hi I'm in the same postion at the mo and still don't havefull exstension but its only been six weeks but it will take time

[@loveforallaz]

How you doing now? I am recovering in 3 weeks

[@janvinaik5072]

@@loveforallaz hey how are you now? I'm at my 5th week and I'm 50% recovered, but now I'm almost loosing hope that my hand won't get straight

[@akkisingh4739]

@@janvinaik5072 instead of radial head implant you can go for radial head excision you will get better extension and flexion as well

[@mickeyhunt2150]

@@janvinaik5072 when you say 50% recovered what do you mean? How are you now and how long has it been? Obviously your comment I'm replying to was 8 months ago lol

[@janvinaik5072]

@@mickeyhunt2150 not old,. I got in accident in mid August. Its been 2 months since surgery. Well i can say it's not 50% . I'm getting physiotherapy done daily, my elbow was 90° full stiff at start with no strength, but now i have gained strength and lil range of motion more of 40° flexion and 20° extension. But to get fully straight and fully Norm , will take more 3-4 months. Which totally depends on myself only,. But I'm starting to loose hopes idk y, doctor says it will get proper but idk

[@glenhall3781]

I'm around 4 months post op, breaking left hand, Distal radius fracture, and also Right elbow, Radial head fracture. Still struggling a lot with extension, wondering if anyone has been able to get full extension? NHS doctors and NHS physio seem to accept thats all i can get.

[@mickeyhunt2150]

I'm 2 months mate and same here. Struggling with extension and flexion. There is a common theme that radial head fractures cause a permanent loss of extension to some degree, however to what degree really depends on how strict you are with your physio. I am booked on to try shockwave therapy to try and get more than what I have now. Don't forget the recovery time is 6 months so you still gave time.

[@ravijakhotiya4952]

@@mickeyhunt2150 what about u?

[@mto7429]

@@mickeyhunt2150 Can't speak for the prothesis cause as of now I do not need it yet. Will be a thing in the near future though. But when I broke my radial head I couldn't stretch my arm either. After the operation I waited like 6 weeks and then I was allowed to start training full motion. Just simply doing exercises didn't do it for me. There was always a little bend in the arm, never a full stretch and the doctors told me it would stay like that. I couldn't really accept that and tried to stretch my arm using force, for example by squeezing it flat between my body and a wall. I figured if they therapist can use force to stretch my arm, why wouldn't I be able too. While doing that I really focused on what I was feeling. If I had pain I I tried to feel if it's muscle/strings or bone. I felt like most pain came from muscle and strings, so I figured it's gotta get better if I keep doing that. By now I almost gut full motion back. Can't overextend my arm anymore, but that's supposed to be bad anyway. If you feel like your muscles and strings support more motion and you get blocked my something else maybe the prothesis might be too long? Earlier I've read the correct size of that kind of prothesis often can only be evaluated after the surgery. How did it work out for you by now?

[@mickeyhunt2150]

@mto7429 hi buddy, I am 20 weeks post surgery on Monday and still haven't got full extension or flexion. Although it is better than 2 months ago, but nowhere near normal. I have a log of metal work though, as I also had a type 3 fracture of my ulna and olecranon as well as decimating the radial head. Im just going to keep using weight to try and get it as straight as I can but I do fear time is running out.

[@mickeyhunt2150]

I'm the same pal. Decimated my radial head on 4th Sept 2022. Did you have radial head replacement? How much extension and or flexion have you lost?

[@user-hd8gg2eu5j]

Did you get full extension after all these years?

[@TechMonk-x1g]

Is it ok now?

[@negiudey7030]

How long it take to recover ?

[@yuri.borodkin]

How do you progress now?