Massage therapy · Kitchener–WaterlooRadial Head Fracture

Call 911 or go to the emergency room at your nearest hospital if, after an arm injury (NHS, 2026):

• your arm, hand or fingers are numb, tingling or have pins and needles
• you have a bad cut that is bleeding heavily
• a bone is sticking out of the skin
• your arm has changed colour or shape, or is at an odd angle

• Upper Arm – Extending from the shoulder down to the elbow, this part gives the arm its lifting and pulling strength.
• Elbow – This joint lets the arm bend and straighten, and helps the forearm turn.
• Forearm – The forearm lies between the elbow and the wrist. It contains two bones, the radius and the ulna, and its muscles help to turn the forearm and move the wrist.
• Wrist – The wrist is made up of eight small bones (the carpal bones), as well as multiple tendons and ligaments.
• Hand – Using five fingers, the hand helps you to do a huge number of complicated tasks.

The radius is one of the two long bones of the forearm, on the thumb side (Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, n.d.). The radial head is the bulb-shaped end of the radius where it meets the elbow (AAOS, n.d.). A fracture of the radial head usually causes pain on the outside of the elbow, swelling, difficulty bending or straightening the elbow, and difficulty turning the forearm (AAOS, n.d.).

1. Type I Fractures

These are generally small cracks, and the pieces of bone stay fitted together. They may not show up on an X-ray taken at the time of the injury (AAOS, n.d.). They are usually treated without surgery, with early and gradual elbow and wrist movement as pain allows. A sling or splint is often only needed briefly, if at all (AAOS, n.d.). Starting to move early is important because elbows stiffen quickly (Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust, n.d.).

2. Type II Fractures

These are slightly displaced and involve a larger piece of bone. If there is only a small amount of displacement, you may wear a sling for a short time and then start movement exercises (AAOS, n.d.). Small fragments might have to be surgically removed. If a fragment is large and out of place, the surgeon may hold it together with screws, or a plate and screws. If that cannot be done, the broken pieces may be removed, or the radial head replaced with an artificial one (AAOS, n.d.).

3. Type III Fractures

These have multiple broken pieces of bone that cannot be put back together to heal, and there is often damage to the elbow joint and ligaments too. Surgery is often recommended to fix or remove the broken pieces and repair the soft tissues. If the damage is severe, the whole radial head may be removed, and an artificial radial head is often put in its place (AAOS, n.d.).

Most radial head fractures have healed by around 6 to 12 weeks (Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust, n.d.).

• Work on the neck, upper back and shoulders, which take extra strain while you favour one arm
• Gentle lymphatic drainage for swelling in the forearm and hand
• Keeping your shoulder, wrist and fingers moving, and practising the elbow movements your team allows

• Hands-on work for tight muscles around the elbow and forearm, and around the scar once it has healed if you had surgery
• Gentle, low-velocity joint mobilisation and stretching for stiffness once your doctor confirms the bone has healed, never forced
• Bending, straightening and turning the palm, then grip and light weight work, building to gym-based lifting if that's your goal

I don't use heat over metal plates, screws or an artificial radial head, and I only mobilise a replaced joint if your surgeon agrees. For new numbness or tingling in your hand, or pain or swelling that keeps getting worse, contact your doctor straight away.