If you fall backward and catch yourself with your hand, the radial head tends to become stuck in which direction?

If you fall backward and catch yourself with your hand, the radial head tends to become stuck in which direction?

• A. Anteriorly
• B. Posteriorly
• C. Laterally
• D. Medially

Answer: (D)

When you fall on an outstretched hand, the force is transmitted up the forearm and the radial head is constrained by the annular ligament around the neck of the radius. This mechanism creates a valgus-like moment at the elbow, driving the radial head toward the medial side, where it can press against the ulna and become wedged there. The medial side acts as the boundary that makes this direction more likely than anterior, posterior, or lateral displacement. So the radial head tends to get stuck medially.

When you fall on an outstretched hand, the force is transmitted up the forearm and the radial head is constrained by the annular ligament around the neck of the radius. This mechanism creates a valgus-like moment at the elbow, driving the radial head toward the medial side, where it can press against the ulna and become wedged there. The medial side acts as the boundary that makes this direction more likely than anterior, posterior, or lateral displacement. So the radial head tends to get stuck medially.