My Broken Elbow Was One of the Worst That Dr. Steinberg Has Seen

After 20 years in the military, Sergeant 1st Class Malcolm Bradford has served active duty in places like Iraq and Somalia. “As a soldier, I’ve seen everything you can possibly imagine”. So when his motorcycle slipped on some sand as he was rounding a curve one day, he didn’t think his injury was much more than a dislocated shoulder. “It’s true that the bike fell on my left arm and I couldn’t move it at all. But I’m an active person who’s tough and use to punishing my body. I guess at first it was just the adrenaline that kept me going.” However, it wasn’t long before Sgt. 1st Class Bradford learned that his injuries were much worse.

“Some kids saw the accident and called an ambulance; they were going to take me to one hospital, but I asked them to change their route and go to Baptist Medical Center, instead. I consider that decision to be one of the most important things I have ever done, because it led me to Dr. Steinberg.” Bruce Steinberg, M.D. is a specialist in upper extremities and was called in to evaluate Sgt. 1st Class Bradford’s injuries, which were extreme. He diagnosed Sgt. 1st Class Bradford with an elbow fracture dislocation as well as a comminuted wrist fracture. “I understand that my broken elbow was one of the worst that Dr. Steinberg has ever seen. It must have been bad because the surgery took 10 hours.” Dr. Steinberg performed a left side repair of his elbow fracture dislocation and his comminuted distal radius fracture as well as an anterior transposition of the ulnar nerve and an olecranon osteotomy.

It wasn’t until the day following his surgery that Sgt. 1st Class Bradford appreciated the full extent of his injuries. “Dr. Steinberg told me I was lucky I still have my arm. He showed me pictures from the surgery and how extensive a repair that was required. When I think about someone spending that much time to fix me up, I feel lucky. I was in the right place with the right doctor.”

Sgt. 1st Class Bradford’s recovery required several months of physical therapy with JOI Rehabilitation. He appreciates that the therapists pushed him in just the right manner. “We were a team, and had good fun together. They really helped me to achieve my full recovery. I still try to stop in and say hello when I get a chance.” Remarkably, Sgt. 1st Class Bradford is back to his prior level of activity. He rides a motorcycle, swims, sky dives, and for the first time since his accident, will go back to bow hunting soon. “To tell you the truth, I never thought I’d be able to go bow hunting anymore. But I’m able to pull the bow back at 50 lbs. of pressure. When I think about the fact that I could have just as easily been without a left arm, I feel doubly grateful to Dr. Steinberg.”

With no hesitation, Sgt. 1st Class Bradford gladly recommends Dr. Steinberg to any and everyone. “Another guy in my bike group took a fall. He had a minor injury to his little finger but did not see Dr. Steinberg. My friend has had a lot of problems and I tell him he should have listened to me.” While Sgt. 1st Class Bradford has had some on-going treatments related to his injury, he is grateful every day for Dr. Steinberg’s care. “I consider Dr. Steinberg to be a blessing in my life. I like to live my life to the fullest, and I certainly wouldn’t be able to do that without the use of both of my arms.”

– Sergeant 1st Class Malcolm Bradford