What Is a Supracondylar Fracture of the Humerus?
The two bones in the lower arm are the ulna and radius. The upper arm bone is the humerus. The two lower arm bones meet the upper arm bone at the elbow joint. Basically, a supracondylar fracture of the humerus is a broken elbow. But it refers to a specific portion of the elbow. In this type of fracture, the humerus bone is involved. The humerus is the long thick bone in the upper arm. The end where it meets the shoulder is called the proximal end. Where it meets the elbow joint is called the distal end. In children whose bones are not yet fully developed, there is a small gap at each end of the bone called a growth plate. A supracondylar fracture of the humerus occurs above the growth plate at the distal end. At this distal end there are two rounded bony knobs called condyles. The condyle attaches to other bones, tissues and muscles. If it is injured, muscles and nerves can be affected and that in turn affects whether the elbow can bend or the arm can move. One of the most common kinds
