Diagnosis and Treatment of an Essex-Lopresti Injury

Introduction: ELIs are rare and due to the predominant symptoms of a proximal radius fracture they are regularly missed or poorly treated. As a late treatment (< 4 weeks) worsen the patient’s outcome, it is crucial to diagnose and treat ELIs in the acute phase. Main question: How can an Essex-Lopresti injury be diagnosed and what is the most effective management in the acute and chronic phase? Results: To answer the main question we found: 2 systematic reviews, 8 cadaveric case-controlled studies and 7 cohort studies. Six studies focusing on the in sensitivity and specificity of MRI and ultrasound (US) showed that both MRI and US are accurate diagnostic tools to identify an ELI. In the current literature there are multiple treatment options; however, none of these treatments were superior in both acute or chronic ELIs. Conclusion: The physician can decide to perform either an MRI or US of the IOM, in addition to standard radiologic examination to identify an ELI. As there is no consensus and a lack of literature concerning the best treatment of an acute or chronic ELI, the ideal treatment remains a subject of debate.