Elbow & Forearm MCQs

A 21-year-old collegiate pitcher undergoes ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) reconstruction using the docking technique with a palmaris longus autograft.

What is the most common postoperative complication associated with this procedure?

In the surgical management of a 'terrible triad' injury of the elbow (elbow dislocation, radial head fracture, and coronoid fracture), what is the most accepted sequential order of structure repair to restore stability?

Posterolateral rotatory instability (PLRI) of the elbow is a clinical entity most frequently caused by insufficiency of which of the following capsuloligamentous structures?

A 45-year-old male undergoes a single-incision anterior approach for the repair of a distal biceps tendon rupture. Post-operatively, he complains of numbness over the lateral aspect of his forearm. Which nerve is most likely injured during this surgical exposure?

What is the most widely accepted surgical sequence for repairing a 'terrible triad' injury of the elbow (elbow dislocation, radial head fracture, and coronoid fracture)?

The distal biceps tendon normally inserts onto the radial tuberosity. To maximize the biomechanical supination moment arm (the 'cam effect') during an anatomical surgical repair of a distal biceps rupture, where should the tendon be optimally positioned on the tuberosity?

In posterolateral rotatory instability (PLRI) of the elbow, the primary deficient structure is the lateral ulnar collateral ligament (LUCL). What are the precise anatomic origin and insertion of the LUCL?

A patient undergoes surgical repair of an acute distal biceps tendon rupture using a single-incision anterior approach. Postoperatively, he complains of burning pain and numbness along the lateral aspect of his forearm. Which nerve was most likely injured during the surgical exposure?

A 14-year-old male baseball pitcher presents with lateral elbow pain and catching. Radiographs and MRI demonstrate a detached osteochondral fragment in the capitellum with an underlying fluid signal. What is the most appropriate diagnosis?

During a radial head arthroplasty for a comminuted radial head fracture, the surgeon inadvertently overstuffs the radiocapitellar joint by 4 mm. Which of the following biomechanical consequences is most likely to occur as a direct result of this technical error?

A 45-year-old male laborer presents with acute anterior elbow pain and ecchymosis after attempting to lift a heavy box. Examination reveals a positive hook test. During a single-incision anterior surgical repair using suture anchors, which nerve is at the highest risk of injury?

A 32-year-old female complains of a recurrent clicking and giving way of her elbow when pushing up from a chair. Physical examination demonstrates apprehension with the elbow supinated, axially loaded, and moving from extension into flexion. Which ligamentous structure is primarily deficient?

A 45-year-old male hears a pop in his anterior elbow while lifting a heavy box. On examination, he has a positive hook test. He undergoes a single-incision distal biceps tendon repair. Postoperatively, he complains of numbness along the lateral aspect of his forearm. Which structure was most likely injured during the surgical exposure?

A 30-year-old male presents with lateral elbow pain and a clicking sensation when extending and supinating the elbow. He is diagnosed with posterolateral rotatory instability (PLRI) and is scheduled for ligament reconstruction. What are the correct isometric points for reconstructing the primary ligament deficient in this condition?

A 35-year-old female falls onto an outstretched hand. A lateral radiograph of the elbow demonstrates a "double arc sign." What specific injury does this radiographic finding indicate?

A 45-year-old tennis player fails 12 months of conservative management for lateral epicondylitis. An open debridement of the extensor carpi radialis brevis (ECRB) is planned. Topographically, where is the ECRB origin located relative to the extensor carpi radialis longus (ECRL)?

A 36-year-old recreational athlete feels a pop in his antecubital fossa while lifting weights. He has pain, swelling, and deformity. Representative sagittal and coronal MRI slices are shown in Figures 1 and 2, respectively. What is the most common major complications associated with surgical repair of this structure?

74

A 45-year-old female falls from a ladder and sustains an injury to her right elbow. Radiographs similar to the typical appearance of this injury pattern

demonstrate a posterior elbow dislocation, a radial head fracture, and a coronoid fracture. According to the standard lateral-to-medial surgical protocol (e.g., Pugh et al.), what is the correct sequence of structural fixation?

A 45-year-old male undergoes a single-incision anterior approach for repair of a complete distal biceps tendon rupture. During the post-operative follow-up, he complains of numbness and tingling over the lateral aspect of his proximal forearm. Which nerve was most likely injured or stretched by retraction during this procedure?