Object numberGC.11377
DescriptionThe patient was a man of thirty-eight who suffered from osteogenesis imperfecta; he had sustained seventy eight fractures and there was considerable residual deformity of the lower limbs. His sclerotics were not blue, but he suffered from osteosclerosis.
Eight years previously his left elbow had been injured in a street accident and subsequently he had developed a swelling on the posterior aspect of the joint with progressive limitation of movement. He now presented himself with pain in his joint following a blow upon it.
Examination revealed a hard smooth mass on the posterior aspect of the joint, with a well localised tender zone. Flexion was full, extension limited to 110º. The mass moved with the forearm. X-ray confirmed the presence of a large additional bone with a recent transverse fracture.
As the bone was causing disability by constituting a block to extension it was excised and six weeks later 150º extension was possible. Progress was then terminated by the death of the patient in a further road accident.
I presume this is a case of hyperplastic callus formation but I have been unable to find anything quite like it reported in the literature. I had the prints prepared with a view to publication but neither the Journal of tone and Joint Surgery nor the British Journal of Surgery wanted it. If you have any other views about the origin of the condition I would be very interested to hear them.
Production date 1958
Object nameJOINT, elbow
Object categoryAnatomical, specimen