A traumatic elbow injury

A man in his 30s attended the emergency department after falling on his left arm while playing basketball. He was unable to move his forearm and experienced persistent dull pain. Examination showed an obvious elbow deformity with a depression, dark red ecchymosis, and left elbow swelling. There was significant elbow tenderness on palpation, and active and passive elbow movement was limited. No neurovascular compromise was noted, and there was normal range of motion in other joints. Radiographs were taken at initial presentation (fig 1).