Posterior dislocation of the elbow as an unusual presentation after a total hip replacement: a case report

Posterior dislocation of the elbow is usually associated with trauma to the joint with a reported incidence of 3%to 6%. Chronic instability is usually symptomatic following the initial injury.

We report a case of posterior dislocation of the elbow occurring in a patient while using her arm to lift herself using a monkey pole on the second day following a total hip replacement. The dislocation was reduced under sedation in the ward. There were no signs or symptoms suggesting any joint hypermobility syndrome in the patient. Follow up 4 months following the injury revealed a complete recovery in the range of motion and a pain free elbow. There were no signs and symptoms of any instability.

This is the first time such a case is reported in the literature. It certainly demonstrates that even in the absence of instability a patient can be predisposed to low energy dislocation of the elbow.