Related Experiment Videos
Recurrent elbow dislocation--an uncommon presentation
D Sunderamoorthy1, A Smith, D A Woods
1dsundar6@hotmail.com
Emergency Medicine Journal : EMJ
|August 23, 2005
Summary
Recurrent elbow dislocations can occur even with initially normal radiographs, emphasizing the need for high clinical suspicion and specialist assessment to prevent complications. Proper evaluation is crucial for effective management.
Area of Science:
- Orthopedics
- Trauma Surgery
- Radiology
Background:
- Elbow dislocations are common injuries, but recurrent dislocations pose unique diagnostic and management challenges.
- Initial radiographic assessment may not reveal subtle ligamentous injuries leading to instability.
Observation:
- A patient presented with a fall and elbow swelling, initially diagnosed as a soft tissue injury with normal radiographs.
- The patient experienced recurrent dislocations despite initial conservative management.
- Delayed diagnosis of a posterolateral elbow dislocation occurred after persistent symptoms.
Findings:
- Recurrent elbow dislocations can arise from significant ligamentous injuries.
- Initial normal investigations do not exclude underlying joint instability.
- External fixators and transolecranon pins can effectively stabilize recurrent dislocations.
Implications:
- A high index of suspicion is vital for diagnosing elbow instability.
- Appropriate and timely specialist referral is essential to avoid morbidity.
- Individual patient assessment is critical, irrespective of previous normal investigations.