Monteggia & Galeazzi

Compare the fractured bone and the joint you must check.

Monteggia

Ulna fractureAnterior radial-head dislocation (Bado I)

Check the elbow

Ulna fractureProximal shaft
Radial headAnterior dislocation

Preparing anatomy…

Galeazzi

Radial shaft fractureDistal radioulnar joint disruption

Check the wrist

Radial shaft fractureDistal shaft
DRUJDisrupted at the wrist

Preparing anatomy…

View: Volar-ulnar oblique

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Always assess both adjacent joints. One illustrative pattern of each injury is shown.

Anatomy & sources

Monteggia combines an ulna fracture with radial-head dislocation. Check radiocapitellar alignment at the elbow. Galeazzi combines a radial-shaft fracture with disruption of the distal radioulnar joint (DRUJ). Check the DRUJ at the wrist.

The illustrated Monteggia is Bado type I, with anterior radial-head dislocation. In the illustrated Galeazzi, the ulnar head is dorsal relative to the displaced distal radius. Other directions and variants occur. The fracture planes and displacement are schematic; dashed lines are alignment guides. The animation illustrates changes in anatomical relationships, not a measured injury sequence, clinical reduction maneuver or simulation of tissue mechanics. The orientation guide describes the camera viewpoint around the reference forearm. Cartilage and soft tissues are omitted.

Clinical references: AO Surgery Reference, Monteggia fracture-dislocation and Galeazzi fracture-dislocation.

Reference geometry: Jan Kooloos, RadboudUMC, Eungyeol Lee, LUMC and Open3DModel contributors, Open3DModel upper limb, based on BodyParts3D and Z-Anatomy; supplied as glTF by 3D Anatomy. Extracted, cropped, quantized, recolored and split at illustrative fracture planes. Adapted geometry remains under CC BY-SA 4.0.