The radial head is the top of the radius, one of your two forearm bones. A fracture here is one of the most common forearm breaks, and it usually happens from a fall onto an outstretched hand. Here's the part most people get wrong in the first week: long immobilisation. The elbow hates being immobilised. Of any joint in the body, it's the most likely to turn stiff, and stiffness is far harder to fix than the original fracture is. That's why stable radial head fractures (the majority of them) are almost always managed without surgery and without a cast. The goals are:
a brief period of protection (a sling, often just a few days to about a week), and
early, controlled movement to keep the joint free.
"But I broke a bone! shouldn't I let it rest?" It's a fair instinct, but for this particular fracture, resting too long is the risk. The elbow will stiffen, and the treatment for a stiff elbow is harder and less reliable than the treatment for a stable radial head fracture. When does a radial head fracture need surgery? Roughly one in three. Surgery is needed when:
a fragment that's shifted enough to catch in the joint (visible on X-ray or CT),
involvement of the wider elbow joint or associated ligament injury (instability), or
cracking noises from the joint when you move it.
In those cases, a surgeon may open the joint, clean up or fix the fragment, and early movement often starts as soon as the fracture is stable. The message is the same either way: the elbow is meant to move.
What recovery looks like. Daily life usually improves over 6–10 weeks. Full recovery, including heavier lifting or sport, can take 3–6 months. The work you do in those first 6–10 weeks (controlled movement, strengthening) is what determines how mobile your elbow is at the six-month mark. It's one of the few elbow problems where doing the right thing early visibly changes your outcome. If this is you, what to do now:
If this is a new injury: come in for an urgent assessment, no referral needed.
If you've already had a fracture and now feel it's "stuck," "catching," or "worse than before": that's definitely worth a look, a stable fracture that isn't moving well usually needs different exercises or a closer read on the films.
If it hurts to do the everyday things (lifting a cup, typing, dressing), it's worth getting it looked at rather than waiting it out.
Email us your recent X-ray/CT or let us know at what radiology clinic you got the imaging done, it saves time and lets us work from day one. Call 09 883 0190 or book online.