What are the signs of a dislocated elbow. How is a dislocated elbow diagnosed and treated. What are the recovery expectations for a dislocated elbow. How can elbow dislocations be prevented.

Understanding Elbow Dislocation: An Overview

An elbow dislocation occurs when the bones of the forearm (radius and ulna) move out of their normal position relative to the upper arm bone (humerus). This misalignment disrupts the elbow joint, resulting in a painful and potentially serious injury. Elbow dislocations can range from simple to complex, depending on the severity of bone and soft tissue damage involved.

Why do elbow dislocations happen. The most common cause is a fall onto an outstretched arm, but any traumatic impact to the elbow area can potentially result in dislocation. Car accidents, sports injuries, and other high-force incidents are also known culprits.

Types of Elbow Dislocations

• Simple dislocation: No major bone injury
• Complex dislocation: Involves fractures of the surrounding bones
• Severe dislocation: Damage to blood vessels and nerves in addition to bone displacement

How serious is a dislocated elbow. While all dislocations require prompt medical attention, complex and severe dislocations pose a higher risk of complications and may necessitate surgical intervention. Understanding the type of dislocation is crucial for determining the appropriate treatment approach.

Recognizing the Symptoms of a Dislocated Elbow

Identifying a dislocated elbow quickly is essential for proper treatment and recovery. What are the telltale signs of this injury.

• Severe pain in the elbow region
• Visible deformity or swelling of the elbow
• Inability to bend or straighten the arm
• Potential loss of feeling in the hand
• Absence of pulse at the wrist (in severe cases)

Can you mistake a dislocated elbow for another injury. Yes, it’s possible to confuse a dislocation with a fracture or severe sprain. This is why professional medical evaluation is crucial for an accurate diagnosis and appropriate treatment plan.

When to Seek Immediate Medical Care

Certain symptoms indicate a medical emergency and require immediate attention. Seek help right away if you experience:

• Complete immobility of the elbow
• Intense, unrelenting pain
• Numbness or tingling in the hand or fingers
• Lack of pulse in the wrist
• Visible deformity of the joint

Diagnosing a Dislocated Elbow: Medical Examinations and Tests

How do doctors diagnose a dislocated elbow. The process typically involves a combination of physical examination and imaging studies.

Physical Examination

During the initial assessment, a healthcare provider will:

• Check for visible deformity and swelling
• Assess pulse and blood flow to the hand
• Evaluate sensation and movement in the fingers and wrist
• Test the range of motion (if possible without causing additional pain)

Imaging Studies

What imaging techniques are used to confirm an elbow dislocation.

• X-rays: To visualize bone positioning and identify any fractures
• CT scans: For a more detailed view of complex dislocations
• MRI: To assess soft tissue damage, including ligaments and tendons
• Arteriogram: In cases where arterial injury is suspected

Why are multiple imaging studies sometimes necessary. Complex dislocations may involve subtle fractures or soft tissue injuries that aren’t apparent on standard X-rays. Advanced imaging helps ensure a comprehensive diagnosis and guides treatment decisions.

Treatment Approaches for Dislocated Elbows

How is a dislocated elbow treated. The approach depends on the severity of the dislocation and any associated injuries.

Reduction: Repositioning the Joint

The primary goal of treatment is to reposition the dislocated bones, a process known as reduction. How is this accomplished.

• Manual manipulation: A doctor carefully guides the bones back into place
• Sedation or pain medication: Often administered before the procedure to minimize discomfort
• Post-reduction imaging: To confirm proper alignment

Immobilization and Rehabilitation

After reduction, what steps are taken to promote healing.

• Splinting or casting: To immobilize the joint and prevent re-dislocation
• Pain management: Medications to control discomfort during the healing process
• Gradual range of motion exercises: Introduced as healing progresses
• Physical therapy: To restore strength and flexibility

Surgical Intervention

When is surgery necessary for a dislocated elbow. Complex dislocations involving fractures, ligament tears, or vascular damage may require surgical repair. The specific procedure depends on the nature and extent of the injuries.

Recovery and Rehabilitation: The Path to Healing

What can patients expect during the recovery process after an elbow dislocation. The journey to full healing varies depending on the severity of the injury and the individual’s overall health.

Timeline for Recovery

• Simple dislocations: May heal within 3-6 weeks
• Complex dislocations: Can take several months for full recovery
• Surgical cases: May require 3-6 months or longer for complete rehabilitation

Rehabilitation Milestones

What are the key stages of elbow dislocation recovery.

1. Initial immobilization: Protecting the joint while initial healing occurs
2. Gentle range of motion exercises: Introduced gradually to prevent stiffness
3. Strengthening exercises: Building muscle support around the joint
4. Return to normal activities: Gradual reintroduction of daily tasks and sports

How can patients support their recovery at home. Following medical advice, adhering to prescribed exercises, and avoiding activities that could re-injure the elbow are crucial for optimal healing.

Preventing Elbow Dislocations: Strategies for Safety

While not all elbow dislocations can be prevented, certain measures can reduce the risk of injury. How can individuals protect their elbows from dislocation.

• Use proper protective gear during sports and high-risk activities
• Practice proper falling techniques to avoid landing on outstretched arms
• Strengthen the muscles around the elbow through targeted exercises
• Maintain good overall bone health through diet and exercise
• Avoid overextension of the elbow during activities

Are some individuals at higher risk for elbow dislocations. Yes, certain factors can increase susceptibility:

• Participation in contact sports or activities with a high fall risk
• Previous elbow injuries or dislocations
• Connective tissue disorders that affect joint stability
• Age-related changes in bone density and muscle strength

Long-Term Outlook: Life After an Elbow Dislocation

What is the prognosis for patients who have experienced an elbow dislocation. The long-term outlook is generally positive, especially for simple dislocations treated promptly and appropriately.

Potential Long-Term Effects

• Mild stiffness or reduced range of motion
• Increased risk of future dislocations
• Potential for post-traumatic arthritis in severe cases

How can patients optimize their long-term outcomes. Adhering to rehabilitation protocols, maintaining elbow strength and flexibility, and avoiding high-risk activities during the healing process are key factors in achieving the best possible results.

Monitoring and Follow-Up

Why is ongoing medical supervision important after an elbow dislocation. Regular check-ups allow healthcare providers to:

• Assess healing progress
• Identify any complications early
• Adjust treatment plans as needed
• Provide guidance on returning to normal activities

Special Considerations: Elbow Dislocations in Children

How do elbow dislocations differ in pediatric patients. Children’s growing bones and more flexible ligaments create unique challenges and considerations in diagnosing and treating elbow dislocations.

Unique Aspects of Pediatric Elbow Dislocations

• Higher risk of associated fractures due to growth plates
• Potential for growth disturbances if injuries affect growth plates
• Need for age-appropriate rehabilitation strategies
• Importance of close monitoring during healing to ensure proper bone alignment

What special precautions are taken when treating children with elbow dislocations. Healthcare providers must balance the need for proper joint alignment with the potential risks of overly aggressive treatment that could affect growth. This often involves:

• More conservative approaches to reduction and immobilization
• Careful monitoring of growth and development post-injury
• Tailored physical therapy programs suitable for children
• Education for parents and caregivers on proper care and activity restrictions

Elbow dislocations, while painful and potentially serious, are manageable injuries with proper medical care and rehabilitation. Understanding the signs, seeking prompt treatment, and committing to the recovery process are essential steps in overcoming this injury and regaining full elbow function. Whether you’re an athlete, a parent, or simply someone concerned about elbow health, staying informed about dislocation risks and prevention strategies can help you protect this crucial joint and maintain your overall well-being.

Dislocated Elbow Symptoms, Causes, and Treatment

Written by WebMD Editorial Contributors

Medically Reviewed by Poonam Sachdev on April 12, 2023

• Elbow Dislocation Overview
• Elbow Dislocation Causes
• Elbow Dislocation Symptoms
• When to Seek Medical Care for Elbow Injuries
• Exams and Tests for Elbow Dislocation
• Elbow Dislocation Treatment and Self-Care at Home
• Different Types of Elbow Injuries
• Next Steps for a Dislocated Elbow
• Dislocated Elbow Recovery Time
• Prevention of Elbow Dislocation
• Outlook for Elbow Dislocation
• Elbow Dislocation in Children
• More

An elbow dislocation happens when the bones of the forearm (the radius and ulna) move out of place, compared with the bone of the upper arm (the humerus). The elbow joint, formed where these 3 bones meet, becomes dislocated, or out of joint.

Specific, serious injuries that may occur are fractures (breaking of the bones in the arm), injuries to the arteries in the arm (the vessels carrying blood to the hand), and injuries to the nerves that run through the elbow area, impairing movement and feeling in the arm and hand.

The cause of most elbow dislocations is usually a fall, most commonly with the arm all the way out. But any traumatic injury (such as a car crash) can result in an elbow dislocation.

Severe pain in the elbow, swelling, and not being able to bend your arm are all signs of an elbow dislocation.

In some cases, you may lose feeling in your hand or no longer have a pulse (can’t feel your heartbeat in your wrist). Arteries and nerves run by your elbow, so it is possible you might have injured them during the dislocation.

You should go to the doctor’s office or hospital’s emergency department right away if you can’t move your elbow, have severe pain, can’t feel your hand, or have no pulse in your wrist.

The doctor will begin with an examination.

• The doctor will make sure your nerves and arteries are unhurt by checking your pulse, making sure you can feel normally, moving your fingers and wrist, and making sure that blood is flowing normally to your hand.
• Next, the doctor will get X-rays. Sometimes, breaks in the bone can look like dislocations, and some breaks happen when dislocations happen.
• If the doctor suspects an injury to your artery, further tests, such as an arteriogram (an X-ray of your artery) may be done. Sometimes, an MRI or CT scan may be needed. 

An elbow dislocation is a serious injury that needs medical care. At home, put ice on the elbow. This will help with the pain and will reduce some of the swelling. But the most important thing to do is to see a doctor.

It is best for a doctor to examine this injury, but at home, you can also check for a few signs that will show if the artery in the arm and the nerves are intact.

• To check on the artery, feel below your thumb at the base of your wrist. You should be able to feel your pulse. Press on the tips of your fingers. They should blanch (turn white) and then return to a normal pink color within 3 seconds. If either of these tests is abnormal, seek medical care right away.
• Three nerves run by the elbow. Each nerve has portions that help with strength and feeling. First, check for strength by bending your wrist up as if you were saying “Stop” (radial nerve function), then spread your fingers apart (ulnar nerve function), then try to touch your thumb to your little finger (median nerve function). If you have trouble with any of these tests, see a doctor right away.
• Check for feeling by touching all over your hand and arm. If any feeling of numbness results, see a doctor right away.

There are three basic kinds of elbow dislocation:

• A simple one doesn’t involve a major bone injury.
• A complex one does have broken bones. You might need surgery to fix it.
• A severe dislocation involves injured blood vessels and nerves. 

With a complex dislocation, surgery to repair the damage may lead to bone growth in the soft tissue in your elbow. If this happens to you, your doctor may call it “heterotopic ossification. ”

The doctor will reduce (put back in place) your elbow by pulling down on your wrist and levering your elbow back into place. This is very painful, so powerful medications for pain may be given before reduction.

After your elbow is back in place, the doctor will get X-rays and then put you in a splint that will keep your elbow bent. The splint will make an “L” around the back of your elbow. It will be made of plaster or fiberglass. Its purpose is to prevent movement of your arm at the elbow. Usually, your arm will be placed in a sling to help you hold up your splint.

After you are sent home from the doctor’s office, you will be told to follow up with a bone doctor (orthopedist).

Wear your splint. Do not move your elbow. Elevate your elbow as much as possible, and ice it to ease swelling.

Complex dislocations that need surgery are tougher. Sometimes it’s better to delay the operation. This gives the swelling time to go down. It may be best to rest your elbow in a brace or splint for about a week before surgery.

Your physical therapist will create a rehab program just for you. Here’s what a basic post-op routine might look like:

• 1-4 weeks: Keep your elbow raised. Use ice to ease swelling. Use a splint when you’re still, but you will do some range-of-motion exercises. Your physical therapist may massage the area – they might call this soft-tissue mobilization.
• 5-8 weeks: You’ll add exercises with and without weights to your range-of-motion routines. If you’re an athlete, you’ll work in some sport-specific activities, too. And you’ll continue the soft-tissue treatments.
• 9-16 weeks: By now, you’ll have full range of motion and normal strength in your elbow. You should be back to doing what you did before the injury.

Do not fall on your outstretched arm. Avoid situations that would make falls more common (such as walking at night or being around slippery floors. Overtraining in sports, especially ones that involve throwing, can also lead to dislocation.  

Generally, this injury heals well. After watching closely for 3-5 days, the bone doctor will have you begin gentle movement exercises of your elbow. Usually, recovery happens without any lasting effects.

You may be more likely to take your kid in for this kind of injury than to get one yourself. There’s a type of partial dislocation called nursemaid’s elbow, or pulled elbow, and it’s common in tots 4 and younger.

It usually happens when you pull children by their hands. Their ligaments are loose because their bones aren’t fully formed. It’s easy for them to slip right over the radial head – the thing that helps them flex and bend their elbow and forearm – or get trapped in the elbow joint.

It happened to Bethany Afshar’s daughter Katie twice. The first time was when she was almost 2 and ran behind her big brother into a swimming pool. Her father quickly pulled her out of the pool by her left arm.

“Later, we noticed that she couldn’t pick up a pacifier with that arm and took her to urgent care,” says Afshar, who lives in Georgia. “They gave her a Popsicle, lifted her arm and twisted it real quickly back into place, just like that.”

Katie got the same treatment after it happened again in preschool a year or two later, “probably on the jungle gym,” Afshar says. Katie is 9 now, and it hasn’t happened since. The risk drops as kids get older – their ligaments tighten and their bones grow.

“Nursemaid’s elbow is one of my favorite diagnoses, because it’s so fixable in the moment,” says Kate Cronan, MD, an emergency room physician at Alfred I. DuPont Hospital for Children in Wilmington, DE. “It’s rare that we can fix something that easily and make a child feel all better that quickly.”

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Elbow Dislocation: Signs and Treatment

What is a dislocation?

A dislocation is an injury to a joint. A joint can be defined as two bones that are connected by the shape of the bones and also by soft tissue such as ligaments and capsule. A dislocation of a joint occurs when there is complete lack of contact between the two bones. In order for that amount of change in position of the bones to occur, there is tearing of ligaments and capsule. Partial discloation occurs when the bones have lost some but not all contact with one another and may completely or partially tear the soft tissue.

Elbow dislocations can be separated into simple and complex. Simple dislocations occur when there is no fracture. They are considered “simple” since there is only ligamentous injury. These are more likely to be successfully treated without surgery. Complex dislocations have one or more fractures in addition to the soft tissue injury. The loss of both bone and soft tissue support makes this injury more complicated. The injury is more likely to need surgery. It places the joint at risk for worse stiffness and recurrent instability or pain.

Figure 1

An x-ray showing a normal elbow joint from the side. The “spool” or trochlea of the humerus (yellow triangle) is sitting in the normal groove of the olecranon cup (orange star) of the ulna. This resembles a door hinge.

Figure 2

An x-ray of the elbow taken from the side showing a dislocation. The olecranon cup is empty (orange star).

Causes

Dislocations often happen after a trauma. This can result after a fall, car accident, or a sports injury. The elbow is a very stable joint because of strong ligaments and the way the bones are shaped like a door hinge. Thus, it takes a lot of force to cause the elbow to dislocate.

Having loose ligaments (aka being very flexible or “double jointed”) may put you at risk for dislocation, even with small injuries. If you had a previous fracture that did not heal properly and the shape of the bone was changed, you are at risk for a new injury. The abnormal bone shape may change the stability of the joint. If you had a previous dislocation, you are at the greatest risk.

Signs and Symptoms

The signs and symptoms of an elbow dislocation may include:

• Severe pain in the elbow
• Noticeable deformity or irregular appearance to the elbow joint
• Inability to move the joint
• Bruising and swelling of the elbow within the first few minutes to hours from internal bleeding
• Tearing of the skin (caused by severe dislocations), which results in visible external bleeding
• Numbness and tingling or weakness in the arm and hand, which is due to stretching of the nerves that pass over the elbow to the hand

Diagnosis

In evaluating an elbow for a possible dislocation, a history of events leading up to the injury will be asked for by your health care provider. Then an examination of the injured elbow will take place. If there is any further concern for a dislocation, x-rays will be taken.

X-rays are helpful because they will show in which direction the bones are dislocated (Figures 1 and 2). X-rays may also reveal a fracture (broken bone). In some cases, a CT scan or MRI can assist in determining other important injuries associated with the elbow dislocation that is not seen on x-rays (ligaments, nerve, cartilage). These advanced tests often follow any initial treatment. Sometimes, a surgeon may examine the joint under a video x-ray machine, called fluoroscopy, to see if the proper position of the bones stays in place during motion or when gentle stresses are applied to the joint.

Treatment

It is unlikely for elbow dislocations to “pop” back into place on their own. The joint should be put back into place as quickly as possible by a doctor. It is helpful to try to realign the bones before swelling and nerve stretch increases. If you sustain this injury, promptly seek medical care. An experience health care provider will need to realign the dislocated elbow. This is most often a physician. It may also be an athletic trainer if the injury occurs during a sporting event.

With larger joint and even smaller joint injuries, it is often helpful to have an x-ray before and after the dislocation. This helps understand how to maneuver the bone back into place. Some dislocations have one or more fractures which are also important to recognize. Immediate treatment involves “setting” or reducing the bones. Getting the bones back into position (reduction) as soon as safely possible helps decrease the risk of long-term nerve problems. It also helps decrease pain and improves arm swelling. Your health care team may inject numbing medicine into the joint. This will lessen your pain. You may also need intravenous medicine. Sedation and muscle relaxers may be necessary to correct your elbow dislocation. A gentle pull and push and the elbow could be back in place. On the other hand, some dislocations may not go back into the socket through manipulation. They could require surgery to open the joint. Then, soft tissue or bone that is blocking the realignment is removed. The torn or broken structures are then repaired to regain joint stability.

Most elbow dislocations do not require any surgery. After the joint reduction, early motion is critical. Elbows tend to stiffen up quickly. Although early motion is very important, it is also necessary to support the joint with a brace, splint and/or sling between exercise sessions in order to avoid repeated dislocation or minor strains of the ligaments.

Surgery may be indicated if the joint is not stable after reduction. It may also be needed if there are associated displaced or unstable fractures of the bones or cartilage of the elbow. Your surgeon will discuss this with you soon after the reduction.

Recovery

Therapy to regain motion and strength will maximize recovery, but the elbow may never be equal to the other side. The elbow will often stiffen up to some degree after this injury, even if your recovery is smooth. Sometimes, late nerve problems can develop from such injury to the nerve and the development of scarring. Since the “funny bone” or ulnar nerve is closest to the elbow joint, it is most likely to develop a problem after elbow dislocation. Ulnar nerve symptoms include elbow pain and numbness and tingling in the ring and small fingers. These symptoms may increase with elbow flexion and improve with the elbow straightening.

The best treatment results occur when the injury is diagnosed and treated early. It is important to find a health care provider experienced in treating these injuries.

© 2021 American Society for Surgery of the Hand

This content is written, edited and updated by hand surgeon members of the American Society for Surgery of the Hand. Find a hand surgeon near you.

Dislocation of the elbow joint treatment in Odessa

Dislocation of the elbow joint

Dislocation of the elbow joint is a serious injury to the arm. This is a violation of the normal relative position of the humerus, ulna and radius bones, which form the elbow joint. Nearby nerves, vessels, muscles and ligaments are injured. A person experiences severe pain in the arm, cannot perform movements with it.

If your elbow is injured, seek medical attention immediately. Timely diagnosis, treatment and rehabilitation lead to a complete restoration of the function of the elbow joint. Conversely, tightening with proper therapy results in fibrosis, joint instability, or ankylosis (complete fusion), loss of upper limb function.

The most common causes of dislocation

Injuries that lead to dislocation of the elbow:

• fall on arms outstretched in front of you;
• excessive extension at the elbow;
• direct blows to this area;
• sudden hand movements;
• weight lifting.

A dislocation can develop without previous trauma. This happens when the periarticular tissues – muscles, ligaments – do not perform a stabilizing function. Inflammatory and degenerative changes in the joint, as well as age-related changes, reduce the elasticity of tissues, the articular ends of the bones are easily displaced relative to each other at the slightest load.

Symptoms of a dislocated elbow

Symptoms of a dislocated elbow are:

• Deformity in the elbow region due to the fact that the bones take the wrong position.
• Elbow mobility is severely reduced or absent.
• Swelling of the skin of the elbow, forearm and sometimes hand.
• Pain at rest, which is aggravated by movement.
• When the radial artery is pinched, there is no pulse at the wrist, coldness of the hand and forearm.
• When the nerve is compressed by displaced bones, the patient experiences a feeling of numbness, tingling, burning, crawling on the skin of the arm in accordance with the zone of innervation.

Treatment of pathology

At the appointment, the doctor will examine, palpate, determine the range of motion, the sensitivity of the skin on the arm below the injury site, pulse. To exclude fractures, ruptures of blood vessels, ligaments, additional research methods (X-ray, ultrasound, arteriography) will be prescribed.

After determining the nature of the joint damage and the cause that led to it, the bones are set. You shouldn’t try to do it yourself. This can lead to additional damage to nerves, blood vessels, and infringement of soft tissues. After reduction, the joint is fixed with a plaster bandage in the position of flexion at a stubborn angle.

After 7-10 days, rehabilitation begins. Physiotherapy (laser, ultrasound), a set of movements aimed at developing the elbow, help restore the function of the hand. After a month, you can apply massage techniques.

If you have injured your arm, suspect a dislocation of the elbow joint, you can contact an orthopedist-traumatologist in Odessa. Fast accurate diagnosis, painless reduction of dislocation and a set of restorative measures will return the full range of motion to the arm.

Elbow dislocation recovery: how long

Elbow dislocation is one of the most common injuries of the musculoskeletal system, which is faced by both children and adults. After that, unpleasant symptoms may persist for a long period. It is important to properly undergo treatment and rehabilitation in order to reduce the risk of re-tissue and recover quickly.

Contents:

• Causes
• Signs and symptoms
• Reposition
• Treatment
• Rehabilitation
• Prophylaxis

Causes

Dislocation is common, and it can be of different types: primary, secondary and habitual. The last of them usually affects the hip and shoulder joint, which is explained by the peculiarities of their structure. The elbow joint is a complex one in terms of physiology. It is an articulation of three bones: the radius, ulna and humerus. It is they who form two joints, which are enclosed in one capsule. Both are limited in mobility, but perform important tasks.

Not far from the glenohumeral and glenohumeral joints are nerves and great great vessels. For this reason, violation of the anatomical integrity can lead to dangerous complications.

A joint is a movable connection of skeletal bones. It has elastic properties, so it softens the push. The area is considered strong, so there is a chance of injuring it only in case of strong impact. Recovery time depends on how severe the injury is.

Common causes of dislocation are falls on an outstretched arm, car accidents, bumps and jerks. In some cases, injury may occur due to comorbidities. We are talking about arthritis or arthrosis. Then the dislocation will be called pathological.

Regardless of the cause, rehabilitation is necessary. Recovery from a dislocated elbow takes time, but without it, complications can occur.

Signs and symptoms

Injury is most commonly caused by a blow or fall on the arm. Most often, the symptoms are pronounced, so it is difficult for a person not to notice them. There may be a posterior dislocation of the joint, and it is he who occurs most often. It occurs if a person falls on a straight arm, or receives a blow to the elbow area. Anterior dislocation is less commonly diagnosed. It usually appears if there was a blow to the bent elbow.

The physician may suggest this type of injury based on the patient’s complaints. He will conduct an examination and, if necessary, send an X-ray. Based on the results of the study, it will be possible to confirm the guesses.

Symptoms:

• Intense pain. Often it turns out to be sharp, it is difficult for a person to bend his arm.
• Swelling of tissues. Gradually, it grows, especially if nothing is done.
• Elbow numbness. There may also be loss of sensation in the lower limb. This also usually indicates a dislocation.
• Increase in local body temperature. The skin in the injured area will become hot.
• Decreased pulsation of the arteries in the extremities or complete absence.

If the above complaints are present, the doctor will examine the arm and suggest a diagnosis. He may notice that the shade of the skin in the area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe limb has changed due to the fact that blood circulation is disturbed. There may be a violation of the innervation of the hand.

It is not uncommon for a doctor to feel the head of the radius from behind or from the front, depending on the type of injury. The radiograph should confirm the fact that it has shifted. In some cases, there may be a rupture of the articular bag.

If a dislocated elbow has been confirmed, recovery will take some time. After the start of treatment, unpleasant symptoms should subside, and the person will feel better. The main thing is to consult a doctor in a timely manner.

Reduction

First aid is provided by a traumatologist, you cannot take measures on your own. The doctor will diagnose and correct the dislocation. You can not perform this procedure on your own, as it requires certain knowledge. It is also important to undergo an X-ray examination to exclude the possibility of a fracture.

After the joint has been adjusted, the doctor will apply a tight bandage to the patient’s arm. The limb must be fixed in a bent position and hung on a bandage. Within 10 days, it is important to exclude any physical activity, because mobility can lead to re-dislocation. It is important to follow this recommendation in order to prevent complications.

Massage can be started approximately 5-7 days after the joint has been repositioned. It is also important not to forget about physiotherapy. It is allowed to do those exercises that the doctor advises. This will make it possible to prevent the development of contracture, as well as reduce the likelihood of impaired blood flow in the area of ​​dislocation. Do not do exercises that will cause intense pain. It is important to listen to your body and be careful.

If there is a dislocation of the elbow joint, how long the recovery takes is difficult to say. Much depends on the degree of damage to surrounding tissues, as well as the injury itself. Also, the recovery period is affected by the age of the person, the presence of concomitant diseases, the correctness of rehabilitation. If there was a rupture of the joint capsule, then recovery may take 3-4 months. When tendons and ligaments are not broken during an injury, then usually after two weeks, acute symptoms disappear.

The doctor must individually develop a rehabilitation plan for the person. It depends on whether there are complications, how quickly the problem area is restored. If contracture appeared during the period of exclusion of mobility, then it will take longer to develop the arm. When stretching, care must be taken to restore the elasticity of the tissues.

Treatment

It is important to start treatment immediately after an injury in order to recover faster. The medical specialist should set the joint. The sooner this happens, the easier it will be to prevent complications and get rid of unpleasant symptoms.

You can start therapy immediately after the x-ray. In some cases, a medical specialist may refer you to an ultrasound or an arteriogram if you need to check the nerves and blood vessels for damage. You may need to consult a neurologist.

Conservative therapy includes the following steps. First, the doctor anesthetizes the site of injury, then performs the reduction. With a posterior dislocation, the elbow must be bent even more, or the joint must be extended and then bent. With the front, you will need to bend your arm and move the joint back. If everything is done correctly, a click will appear.

Next, the doctor applies a tight bandage, in some cases insists on a cast. When the injury is open, a splint is required.

Reduction should preferably occur within the first hour after injury. Then there should be no complications.

Treatment and repair of a dislocated elbow in some cases requires surgery. This is indicated in the case when the injury is severe, the nerves and blood vessels, ligaments have suffered. In addition, the operation is prescribed if a lot of time has passed after the dislocation, and it can no longer be set in another way.

If the injury was received a month ago, even surgery can not always help to fully restore the function of the joint. The recovery period in this situation will take much longer.

Elbow subluxation is not uncommon in children. The articular apparatus in babies differs in structure, so the usual dislocation is rare.

Subluxation is difficult to diagnose immediately after its onset. If the doctor prescribes the wrong therapy, then the problem can remain for life. Subluxation can occur even when the child is accidentally jerked or pulled on the arm. Damage can be suspected by a characteristic crack or click, in the presence of severe pain. If the mobility of the arm is limited, swelling is observed, then subluxation can also be assumed.

The doctor should adjust the joint, after which the unpleasant symptoms will gradually disappear. It is worth noting that at the age of 5 years, such an injury rarely occurs.

Rehabilitation

Even with timely reduction and no complications, rehabilitation is necessary. You can begin to develop a hand when there is no longer a risk of re-injury. Soft tissues must restore integrity, and the heads of the bones must be securely fixed in the joint cavity. Before starting to do exercises, it is worth visiting a doctor. He will give useful recommendations and tell you if it is possible to start developing the hand.

Rehabilitation after a dislocation of the elbow takes some time. Usually, a medical specialist advises massage to get rid of muscle tension. Physiotherapy and osteopathy will also be useful. It will be necessary to carry out physiotherapy in order to activate the metabolism in the problem area. Laser exposure, reflexology and other rehabilitation methods are also practiced.

You can do a variety of exercises with the special elbow trainers.

Gently raising and lowering the forearm from a seated position will be helpful. You can also clasp your hands in the lock and pull them forward, then start the lock back in one direction and the other. It is important to ensure that there is no pain.

Prevention

To reduce the risk of injury, regular deltoid strengthening exercises are recommended.