Paper Title
Evaluate and Compare The Clinical and Functional Outcomes of Radial Head Excision with Radial Head Replacement for Management of Radial Head Fractures

Abstract
Purpose - The aim of our study was to compare the results of radial head excision and radial head replacement for the treatment of Mason type III and IV radial head fractures. Methods - From June 2018 to December 2020, a total of 33 patients with Mason type III or IV radial head fractures treated surgically with either radial head excision or radial head replacement were included in the study. Patients once included in the study were assessed pre-operatively and followed up at post-operative intervals of 6 weeks, 3 months, 6 months and finally at 1 year. Clinically, elbow pain, range of motion, grip strength and presence of any complications were assessed. Functional outcomes were measured using the DASH score (Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand), MEPS (Mayo Elbow Performance Score) and Broberg and Morrey score. Results - There were a total of 33 patients with Mason type III or IV radial head fractures (19 males and 14 females) with a mean age of 43 ± 17.40 years (range 18-81 years). There were 14 cases of road traffic accidents and 19 cases of slip and fall. 25 patients had a Mason type III radial head fracture, while 8 patients had a type IV fracture. 27 of the 33 patients included in the study were right hand dominant, while the other 6 were left hand dominant. The radial head fracture was on the right side in 21 patients and on the left side in 12 patients.19 patients were operated with radial head excision, while radial head replacement was done for the other 14 patients. The meanduration between the injury and the surgery was 14.96 ± 39.26 days. At final follow up, patients with radial head excision or radial head replacement did not show any significant difference with respect to the DASH score, MEPS, Broberg and Morrey score, elbow range of motion and grip strength, and the presence of any complication. Conclusion - We conclude that patients treated with radial head excision and radial head replacement for Mason type III and type IV radial head fractures show similar clinical and functional outcomes.