Floating arm injury represents a common yet complicated injury of the childhood severely associated with limb deformation and even morbidity, if not precisely addressed and credibly operated. Here, we report a rare floating upper limb case of a 9-year-old boy with multiple injuries of ipsilateral proximal humeral, supracondylar and distal radial limb. This is the first report to document such a combined floating elbow and floating arm injury in the same limb. In this report, we discuss the surgical procedures used and recovery of the patient monitored to ascertain the effectiveness of the method in limb reorganisation.
Accidental Falls ; *Bone Wires ; Child ; Fracture Fixation ; Humans ; *Humeral Fractures ; Male ; Multiple Trauma ; Radiography ; *Radius Fractures ; *Upper Extremity/diagnostic imaging/injuries/surgery

OBJECTIVETo explore significance of preoperative color Doppler flow imaging (CDFI) for screening deep vein thrombosis in upper limbs fracture.

METHODSFrom January 2009 to December 2011, 1200 patients with upper limb fracture caused by trauma were respectively analyzed. There were 833 males and 367 females,ranging from 20 to 78 (mean 41.94 +/- 15.41) years. All patients had swelling and pain in injured limbs when enrolled. CDFI was used to examine upper limbs vein at 3 to 10 d after improvement of swelling, 1 day before reduction. Relationship among occurrence of thrombosis, gender, age and fracture sites were analyzed. Patients with DVT were analyzed with respective study to decide whether combined with diabetes, hypertension and hyperlipidemia.

RESULTSAll patients were checked by CDFI,which confirmed 9 cases with DVT. The rate of thrombosis was 0.75%, women than men (P < 0.01). The risk of blood clots occurred over 30 years, and the occurrence of thrombosis in humerus fracture was higher than radius ulnar fracture. One of 9 patients combined with hypertension and hyperlipidemia, 1 case combined with diabetes, and 7 cases with no complication.

CONCLUSIONUpper trauma fracture may occur deep vein thrombosis; CDFI should be used to check DVT in qualified hospital,which can maintain medical safety,decrease occurrence of medical disputes, and ganrantee patient's safety.

Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Diabetes Complications ; surgery ; Female ; Fractures, Bone ; complications ; surgery ; Humans ; Hypercholesterolemia ; complications ; Hypertension ; complications ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Preoperative Period ; Ultrasonography, Doppler, Color ; Upper Extremity ; injuries ; Venous Thrombosis ; complications ; diagnostic imaging ; Young Adult