Symptoms and Diagnosis:
- 60-year-old left-handed woman presented to the emergency department with pain in her left forearm after being struck by a baseball bat by her partner
- On physical examination, the left forearm was swollen and tender, especially with passive pronation and supination
- Radiographs of the left forearm showed an isolated ulnar shaft fracture
Cause and Treatment:
- Isolated ulnar shaft fractures, also called “nightstick fractures,” result from blunt force trauma to the forearm, which occurred in this case due to intimate-partner violence
- The patient underwent open reduction and internal fixation of the fracture, followed by splinting
Assessment and Social Services:
- Comprehensive assessments of the safety and mental health of the patient were performed
- Social services were offered to the patient
Follow-up:
- At follow-up 10 weeks later, the patient had regained full function of her arm
- The patient had obtained a restraining order for protection and was receiving assistance from a social worker
Dornbos, D. L., & Kreps, J. D. (2022). A 56-Year-Old Man with Fecal Incontinence. New England Journal of Medicine, 386(4), e5. doi: 10.1056/NEJMicm2211242