Fractured Ulna, Lateral View

Description

Shown in lateral profile, the ulna is presented from the olecranon and trochlear notch proximally to the distal head and ulnar styloid, with the shaft extending inferiorly along the posterior border of the forearm. A transverse break with sharp angulation disrupts the proximal fragment near the semilunar (trochlear) notch, where the coronoid process projects anteriorly and the olecranon forms the posterior elbow prominence. The radial notch sits on the lateral aspect of the proximal ulna, orienting the viewer to the proximal radioulnar relationship. Alignment is clearly abnormal. Lateral views of proximal ulnar fractures are not just an academic exercise, because small changes in angulation at the trochlear notch alter ulnohumeral congruity and can limit extension or create painful mechanical block after healing. The pattern also raises immediate clinical flags for a Monteggia lesion, where proximal ulnar fracture is paired with radial head dislocation, a combination that is missed when attention stays on the ulna alone. Fixation planning depends on appreciating which cortex has failed, how far the proximal fragment has migrated under triceps pull, and whether the fracture line approaches the articular surface of the trochlear notch. Orthopedic and emergency medicine educators can use this illustration to teach fracture description (location, morphology, displacement, angulation) and to pair with elbow radiographs when introducing basic reduction principles. Clear enough for an operative atlas, it also supports discussions of posterior plating, tension band constructs in olecranon-adjacent injuries, and pitfalls that lead to loss of forearm rotation at the radioulnar joints. No guesswork. Anatomical accuracy verified by SciePro's Medical Advisory Board.