What are the signs and symptoms of a radial head fracture?

A radial head fracture most commonly presents with pain on the lateral aspect of the elbow, where the radial head is located. This pain is often accompanied by an inability to pronate or supinate the forearm effectively due to the injury's impact on the joint mechanics.

In addition to pain and restricted motion, the presence of fat pad signs on imaging can indicate intra-articular bleeding, which is not uncommon in these types of fractures. These fat pad signs manifest as elevated anterior and posterior fat pads visible on X-ray, suggesting joint effusion that often occurs with elbow fractures.

The combination of these symptoms—lateral elbow pain, functional inability to move the forearm appropriately, and potential fat pad findings—confirms the diagnosis of a radial head fracture more accurately than the other options presented. Signs such as swelling and numbness may occur but are less specific to this type of fracture; posterior shoulder pain and stiffness do not correlate with a radial head injury, nor do erythema and decreased range of motion, which are nonspecific and could pertain to various other musculoskeletal issues.