Pathological changes caused by fractures about the elbow may result in shortening and loss of extensibility of the anterior capsular ligament. By excision of the contracted and fibrosed portion of the anterior capsule, the author has improved the condition in five patients with flexion contracture of the elbow following supracondylar fractures.
A contracted fibrotic capsule may play a rôle in the limitation of motion in other types of fracture, and two cases are reported (Cases 6 and 7), showing that improvement of function may be obtained by operations designed to free the contracted portions of the capsular ligament posteriorly and laterally as well as anteriorly.