Question:
Most common nerve injured in supracondylar fracture of the humerus?
Most common nerve injured in supracondylar fracture of the humerus?
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Recent literature favours the motor branch of the median nerve, with loss of the OK sign.
Updated On: Jun 24, 2026
- Median
- Radial
- Ulnar
- Anterior interosseous nerve
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The Correct Option is D
Solution and Explanation
Step 1: The question asks for the nerve most commonly injured in a supracondylar fracture of the humerus, the commonest elbow fracture in children.
Step 2: Nerve injury occurs in a significant proportion of displaced (type III, Gartland) supracondylar fractures. While older texts named the radial nerve, current literature identifies the anterior interosseous nerve, a motor branch of the median nerve, as the most frequently injured.
Step 3: The pattern depends on the direction of displacement: anterior interosseous nerve (median) injury occurs with posterolateral displacement of the distal fragment, radial nerve injury with posteromedial displacement, and ulnar nerve injury with the less common flexion-type fractures.
Step 4: The anterior interosseous nerve injury presents with weakness of flexor pollicis longus and the index flexor digitorum profundus, producing inability to make the OK sign, usually with no sensory loss. Therefore the most commonly injured nerve is the anterior interosseous nerve.
Step 2: Nerve injury occurs in a significant proportion of displaced (type III, Gartland) supracondylar fractures. While older texts named the radial nerve, current literature identifies the anterior interosseous nerve, a motor branch of the median nerve, as the most frequently injured.
Step 3: The pattern depends on the direction of displacement: anterior interosseous nerve (median) injury occurs with posterolateral displacement of the distal fragment, radial nerve injury with posteromedial displacement, and ulnar nerve injury with the less common flexion-type fractures.
Step 4: The anterior interosseous nerve injury presents with weakness of flexor pollicis longus and the index flexor digitorum profundus, producing inability to make the OK sign, usually with no sensory loss. Therefore the most commonly injured nerve is the anterior interosseous nerve.
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