Elbow Fracture

The elbow is a hinge joint that enables you to move your forearm – the bone connecting your elbow and wrist – in back and forth motion. It is also because of your elbow that you move your palm in rotation or up and down motion freely. There are three bones that elbow supports – humerus, radius and ulna. Elbow fractures are the fractures of the forearm and upper arm bones. These are also related to vascular and nerve injuries.

At times, a serious elbow injury can also pull the joint bones out of position, affecting the range of motion and stability. 

Causes

• Falling on the elbow
• Direct blow to the elbow
• Sports injury
• Falling on an outstretched arm affecting the elbow
• Ligament injury

Symptoms

• Extreme pain
• Bruising and swelling
• Visible deformity
• Elbow stiffness
• Snapping or popping sound at the time of injury
• Weakness or numbness in the wrist, arm and hand

Diagnosis

To diagnose an elbow fracture, you need to see an orthopedist for:

• Physical examination
• X-rays

Treatment

Non-surgical Treatments

In the case when the bine pieces are not displaced, your elbow fracture can be treated with a splint. It holds the elbow in place and allows healing. Regular X-rays are taken during the healing period to ensure there’s no bone displacement.

You need to wear a splint for around 6 weeks or as directed by the orthopedist before starting to move your hand. If the bone displaces during this time, the doctor may suggest going with surgical treatments.

Surgical Treatments

These are the possible surgical methods to treat elbow fractures based on the type of injury:

Open reduction and internal fixation: This process is used for olecranon fractures where a bone is displaced from its position. The surgeon will reposition the bone fragments in the original alignment. The bone pieces are fixed in place using wires, screws, or metal plates (attachment on the outer side of the bone).

Bone graft: If a bone is lost or crushed in the injury, you may need a bone graft for filling the gaps. Your surgeon will arrange a bone graft from a donor or go with autograft (taking another bone from your body, mostly from the hip).

Removal of the fracture fragment: When the affected bone fragment is extremely small and beyond repair, the orthopedist removes it through surgery. During the process of removal of the fractured bone fragment, the triceps tendon is reattached to the ulna (to its remaining portion).