Combined Radiocarpal Dislocation and Forearm Joint Injuries: A Proposed Modification of the Locker-Based Classification System

TL;DR

This paper proposes modifying a classification system for forearm joint injuries to include rare cases involving combined radiocarpal dislocation and forearm injuries.

Contribution

The paper introduces a modification to the locker-based classification system to account for combined forearm and radiocarpal injuries.

Findings

Combined radiocarpal dislocation and forearm joint injuries are rare and often linked to high-energy trauma.

Only one case report of this injury combination was found in the literature.

The authors recommend updating the locker-based classification system to include these combined injury patterns.

Abstract

The comprehensive locker-based classification system brought revolutionary insight into the treatment of often misdiagnosed forearm joint injuries. The authors of the classification scheme subsequently described a combination of simple elbow dislocations and forearm joint injuries (two- and three-locker injuries), but to date, no review of the literature on combined radiocarpal dislocation and forearm joint injuries has been undertaken. The combination of radiocarpal dislocation and forearm joint injury is a rare traumatic pattern, usually related to high-energy trauma. The aim of this study was to confirm the possible occurrence of a forearm joint injury and radiocarpal dislocation. We performed a systematic review of the existing literature, including case reports, to find combinations of radiocarpal dislocation and forearm joint injury. Only one case report was found. Based on the results of our search and the literature review, we recommend modifying the comprehensive locker-based classification system by adding injury patterns of combined forearm joint and neighboring joint injuries.

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