We are reporting five cases of a seldom-reported complication following
fracture of the distal end of the humerus during childhood. The
complication consists of dissolution of a variable portion of the trochlea
at a variable time after fracture. The fractures ranged from non-displaced
to severely displaced supra-condylar fractures along with a lateral
condylar fracture and a Salter-Harris Type-I fracture. The severity of the
fracture did not correlate with the severity of the deformity. When the
defect in the trochlea was wide enough to permit migration of the ulna
proximally, the range of flexion and extension was severely affected.
Excision of the olecranon in one twelve-year-old boy resulted in a moderate
increase in extension.