# My Radial Head Fracture Story & JAS Splint System



## jeffdom1978 (Jun 9, 2010)

Hello,

I know this injury is common, but I am really frustrated at the time this injury is taking to heal. I suffered a minimally displaced radial head fracture 2/21/2010 and its been about 3.5 months. I was riding on a warm February day and coming to a stop and hit some ice and basically my bike came out from under me. I went home and actually didnt even think I broke anything, well the next day I woke up in ton of pain and couldnt move my elbow. It was my right elbow, my dominant arm. 

I went to the ER and the xrays showed the fracture, which they said was not that bad. They just gave me a sling and painkillers and told me to follow up with Ortho doc in 10 days. 
During the first 10 days the swelling and pain was horrible, my whole under arm was purple and pink and pretty gross.

I couldnt move my arm much, but could do some basic things.. 

Well, My Ortho doc took more xrays and just told me to start range of motion movements and follow up again in 4 weeks... Well 4 weeks later, all the swelling went down and bruising faded, but I still could not straighten my arm or touch my shoulder. He then prescribed 6 weeks of Physical Therapy. I did all the motion home therapy and went twice a week for an hour, which def helped but after 6 weeks I was still left with about 30 degrees off of straight.. So I went back to my Ortho and he prescribed me this JAS Splint. Unfortunately its costing me $600 a month to rent it out of my pocket as my insurance refused to cover it.  

I have been using the JAS Splint for about 10 days now and I think it is working! I am gaining some range of motion back, I think... I wear this device 3 times a day for 30 mins each session. I crank the lever every 5 minutes to get a stretch to a pain level of 3 or so. Each day I wake up my arm is pretty much in the stiffest state, but once I use the device 3 times, my arm def is straighter than it was in the morning.. I just hope this works.. 

Does anyone else have any experience with these splints? 

I really thought with a relatively minor radial heads fracture I would be back to 100% by now, and now its summer and I cant do anything... 

I finally went to the gym for the first time in 3.5 months and did some very light machine weights and MAN, my elbow was snap crackle pop! got very sore quickly... Ive lost like 50% of my arm size and shoulders... Its really hard to do any weights or work out any other muscles when you cant use your elbow hard...

I read some other threads about this injury, anyone else chime in and let me know how you are doing??

I guess 3.5 months isnt a long time, but I feel like its been FOREVER!!


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## xcguy (Apr 18, 2004)

I used a JAS device for my broken right wrist and I'd say it made a ton of difference. Mine "didn't cost me anything" except I was paying more than $600/month for my coverage so do the math!

I used it for about three months. I'd start out in the morning doing various stretching of hand/wrist parts along with the JAS, which as you know you gotta just hang out with it on, wouldn't want to trip and fall with it on. I would never have been able to do the proper type of ROM that the JAS device doe, without it.

My muscles shrunk, too. My right arm (pretty pumped when I broke my wrist) went to nothing, I mean nothing. It took me 1 1/2 years to trust my hand. I got back in the gym and started building back up about 5 months after my injury, but it was a verrrrrry slow recovery.

I'm finally 9 months past my last injury (three big ones in three years, including my wrist) and am pumped back up again. Need to break this cycle of injury/recovery ya know?


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## Hugor (Aug 27, 2008)

I smashed my radial head as well as dislocated my elbow. I had the radial head screwed back together and my elbow ligaments reconstructed. 
I have full movement and didn't attend a day of physiotherapy or use any fancy splints. 
I am in the health profession so do have an idea about these things though.










What I did:
Firstly get yourself a 2 litre plastic bottle.
You also need a hammer with a large head.
You need to be in front of the TV with something decent on.

Elbow extension.
Sit up on the edge of your sofa against the arm rest. Put a few pillows on the arm rest to build it up.
Sit so that your upper arm is supported horizontally on the pillows and your forearm is unsupported off the front of the arm rest. Put some water in the bottle, and hold it in your unsupported hand so that gravity is forcing your elbow to straighten. Maintain the stretch for as long as you can and increase the amount of water in the bottle to as much as you can tolerate for at least 20 mins. If you do this 3 - 4 times per day I promise you that your elbow will progressively straighten. It is painful though. In the evenings beer helped.

Elbow flexion.
You are in the same position as above but this time your elbow is flexed over your upper arm as much as it will go. Again use the bottle in your hand so that gravity is forcing your elbow to flex. Maintain it for as long as you can and increase the water as much as tolerated.

Elbow rotation (supination/pronation)
Now sit against your arm rest so that your forearm is supported horizontally and your hand is off the front. Get your hammer. Initially grab the hammer close to the head in your unsupported hand. The head should be on the thumb side of your hand. Use the weight of the head to cause your forearm to rotate firstly with your palm up (supination) then with your palm down (pronation). Again maintain the stretch for at least 20 minutes. As you gain movement grab the hammer further away from the head along the handle. This will increase the leverage and hence the force it applies to your elbow rotation.

This method worked for me. Let me know how you go.


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## jeffdom1978 (Jun 9, 2010)

Hey, thanks for the advice, I have been doing some other types of motion movements, but those are a great idea! I will start trying those

What time frame did things start getting back to normal... I feel like there is more damage than the xrays are showing..


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## ptcutch (Aug 3, 2009)

What kind of diagnostic imaging is that you posted? Looks like displaced and commiuted fracture of radial head but never seen that type of imaging?


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## ptcutch (Aug 3, 2009)

Actually in looking at picture more closely it's not anatomically correct as what would be the ulna isn't continuos and there's no olecranon? Anyways good luck with your recovery jeffdom---perserverance is the key!


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## Hugor (Aug 27, 2008)

ptcutch said:


> What kind of diagnostic imaging is that you posted? Looks like displaced and commiuted fracture of radial head but never seen that type of imaging?


That is a CT scan with 3D reconstructions. It is anatomically correct but the olecranon is hidden behind the distal humerus.
Here's 2 other shots of it.

To the OP I started doing these exercises from the 6th week. I had full range by about 3 months but I was very obsessive about it.
It wouldn't be too late to do them now.
The other thing I used was a hand dumbell instead of the hammer.
I placed the weight on one side only - only half a kilo or something.
This was used to get forearm rotation.
Good luck and keep us posted.


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## ptcutch (Aug 3, 2009)

Thanks---those attachments make more sense. Sorry about your luck--sounds like you're doing well given the severity of the injury!


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## jeffdom1978 (Jun 9, 2010)

Well, its now been 4.5 months and my range of motion has hit a wall... I have been using this splint to stretch my arm and for the 1st month i was gaining a little every few days, now I cant move past a certain point and my joint/arm is sore alot more... 

The only positive thing is I have gained alot of strength back.. I can finally do push ups and pull ups, not many but nonetheless I can do them

My elbow also looks a little funny still, like a little muscle bulge where the other arm doesnt have that.. 

I am starting to wonder if this will ever get better!!


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## xcguy (Apr 18, 2004)

jeffdom1978 said:


> Well, its now been 4.5 months and my range of motion has hit a wall... I have been using this splint to stretch my arm and for the 1st month i was gaining a little every few days, now I cant move past a certain point and my joint/arm is sore alot more...
> 
> The only positive thing is I have gained alot of strength back.. I can finally do push ups and pull ups, not many but nonetheless I can do them
> 
> ...


My JAS device got me back pretty much what I could get back. Without it I'd not have gotten that much. My ROM on my right wrist is not what it is with my left and that's just how it turned out. Wished I'd never fallen off that ladder but my right hand/wrist are "fully" functional and I really have no complaints. Just gotta deal I guess. Good luck.


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## scott_s (May 23, 2010)

as a physio ( physical therapist to you yanks!) I cant endorse the JAS splints highly enough for restoring joint ROM.

As for your radial head fracture. ouch. I have a patient with me atm who has the same fracture, though she now has a pin holding it together. her problem was exacerbated by 6weeks immobility after surgery...
if u can get a JAS splint, do so.


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## jeffdom1978 (Jun 9, 2010)

Scott, 

I have a question... The first 45 days of using the JAS splint, my ROM increased almost every day... then I started going back to the gym doing some light weights and machines mostly..Nothing too intense... maybe 50% of the weight I used to do... I noticed my elbow strength greatly improved in the last month (month 4 to 5 post injury) So I have been going to the gym twice a week after taking 4 months off, my elbow is usually sore after my workout but that goes away a few hours later... what I do notice is a decreased range of motion after working out... When I use my JAS I cant get the stretch I could earlier... 

So in the last 3 weeks I am kinda stuck at a certain point with this.. I cant seem to gain any additonal motion.. 

Whats the normal timeframe of a patient using this device? Should I stop working out?


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## xcguy (Apr 18, 2004)

jeffdom1978 said:


> Scott,
> 
> I have a question... The first 45 days of using the JAS splint, my ROM increased almost every day... then I started going back to the gym doing some light weights and machines mostly..Nothing too intense... maybe 50% of the weight I used to do... I noticed my elbow strength greatly improved in the last month (month 4 to 5 post injury) So I have been going to the gym twice a week after taking 4 months off, my elbow is usually sore after my workout but that goes away a few hours later... what I do notice is a decreased range of motion after working out... When I use my JAS I cant get the stretch I could earlier...
> 
> ...


Of course your injury is not my injury but I used my JAS splint for over two months religiously. Don't "substitute" strength training for working on your ROM. If lifting even the slightest amount hurts your ROM recovery, ROM takes precedence.

My PT lady's mantra was "ROM first, the strength will come back later". I can't remember what the rule of thumb is but it's more than 45 days after injury that is key to getting back what you'll eventually get back, for sure. I couldn't even begin to lift (and I lifted heavy every day before my fall) till about six months after I got my cast off.

When I was sitting at stop lights I'd be pushing my hand back and forward. Or I'd be pushing my individual fingers backwards. Constantly. I don't know what the medical equivalent is for your type of injury but you need to keep on your ROM. Now.

As it is, I got all my strength back my like my PT lady said. I had to learn to shoot the basketball all over again (feels like it's somebody's else's hand, even to this day). I got back what I got back as far as ROM so I can't complain.


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## scott_s (May 23, 2010)

jeffdom1978 said:


> Scott,
> 
> I have a question... The first 45 days of using the JAS splint, my ROM increased almost every day... then I started going back to the gym doing some light weights and machines ..............When I use my JAS I cant get the stretch I could earlier...
> 
> ...


hard to answer over the net. it will depend on the extent of your injury etc etc. its very common (for elbow fractures/injuries that result in a loss of movement) not to get full movement back. its a bugger of a joint to damage in that regards, no matter what you may read !

2-3months is a good time frame, with at least 2 30min sessions/day. 
also, pronation/supination ( ie twisting the forearm) always seems to more trouble then bending and straightening the elbow....

to keep going with the JAS ? if you havent improved with it after 3 weeks, I suspect its job is done...


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## meteor77 (Oct 16, 2010)

*JAS Splint System for Elbow*

Does the JAS elbow splint straighten your arm? I fell in Sept, have had elbow surgery on my radial bone and am taking physio. I still have a stiff elbow and unacceptable angle. Please tell me if the JAS will straighten my elbow or if there is another option.

[email protected]

meteor


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## scott_s (May 23, 2010)

it works to straighten or bend, by way of sustained stretching.
your physio should be mobilising your radial head.


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## meteor77 (Oct 16, 2010)

*thank you and clarification*

You said mobilising and I am not sure of the meaning. I think the context being that the physio should be exercising and moving the radial head. Am I correct about the definition of mobilising?


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