“Nightstick” Fracture
A “nightstick fracture” is classically produced when a person raises their forearm to shield themselves from a blow with a blunt object (a nightstick, billy-club, or baseball bat for instance).
This injury is particularly painful and usually requires surgical repair, or as we abbreviate in the ER, “ORIF” for “open-reduction with internal fixation”. This is because the radius and ulna have a proximal articulation that is very precise and will not work correctly without being very well aligned.
Since the advent of “tasers” and pepper-spray I see less of these than I did 15 years ago. And not everyone who sustains one of these fractures is fleeing from the police; some are the victims of robbery or plain old assault.
Based on the following video, however, I think we might see more of these soon. If you see a large crowd coming towards you wearing brown shirts I recommend running… fast.
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