An analysis of force distribution at elbow joint with progressive distal ulna resection

The effects of progressive distal ulna resection on load distribution at the elbow joint, when the forearm was loaded axially in neutral rotation was studied. On loading an intact specimen, load was seen to be transferred from distal radius to proximal ulna, stressing the role interosseous membrane (IOM) plays in load transfer across the forearm bones. With the first resection made at ulna, the proximal strain and the load increased significantly (p< 0.05), more than 3 fold to that of the control reading, indicating an overall increase in load at the proximal radius. Successive resections at ulna did not show a significant increase (p> 0.05) in strain and load when compared to the values at the first resection. These results underlined the role of ulna which acts as a strut bone to take the compressive load and also its importance in the maintenance of the normal forearm biomechanics, even though it shares a small percentage (27%) of load at the distal end while the radius takes the maximal of the load (73%) applied. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)...