Modern Treatment Protocols in the Management of Terrible Triad Elbow Injuries

Abstract

The ‘terrible triad' (TT) elbow fracture-dislocation is a form of complex elbow instability which includes an elbow dislocation with concomitant radial head and coronoid process fractures. As the name suggests, early attempts at managing this injury complex often resulted in high rates of unsatisfactory outcomes and complications. As our understanding of this injury has grown, modern approaches and surgical treatment protocols have yielded more reliable results. Today, goals of treatment are to obtain a concentric reduction with restoration of joint stability to allow for early-motion rehabilitation. However, many controversies still exist concerning the treatment of this complex injury.