Delayed union of the distal ulna in a child after both bone forearm fracture.

Abstract

Fractures of the distal third of the forearm are common in children. These fractures are known to heal readily and rapidly. We describe a 10-year-old boy who had a closed, low-energy fracture of the distal radius and ulna. The radius healed promptly, but the ipsilateral ulna had radiographic evidence of delayed union. We have not found a report of a nonunion of this kind in the literature. With the increasing use of internal fixation and the lack of guidance in the literature, we questioned the standard use of closed treatment. We treated this patient nonoperatively, despite the delay in union, and the fracture healed in 4 months.