Essex-Lopresti Fracture-Dislocation: Report of a Rare Case

We present a rare case of a patient with a distal radioulnar joint (DRUJ) dislocation, tear of the interosseous membrane (IOM) and a fracture-dislocation of the radial head after trauma of the extended hand. Pain in the distal radioulnar joint with a displaced fracture of the radial head or neck should alert the doctor to the possibility of this injury combination. The combined open reduction/internal fixation of the radial head with the closed reduction/internal fixation of the DRUJ allowed the IOM to have a chance to heal and gave stability to the forearm. Two months postoperatively, range of motion exercises were started once there was pain relief and there was a return to a good functional level after six months.