Chronically unreduced posterior dislocation of the elbow

Area of Science:

• Orthopaedic surgery
• Traumatology

Background:

• Chronically unreduced posterior elbow dislocation presents surgical challenges impacting patient function.
• Limited literature exists on managing these complex cases, often based on individual patient observations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the outcomes of surgical reduction and physiotherapy for chronically unreduced posterior elbow dislocations.

Main Methods:

• Nine patients with chronic posterior elbow dislocations (mean 5.6 weeks post-injury) underwent surgical reduction.
• Associated injuries included radial head fractures (8/9), coronoid process fractures (5/9), and lateral collateral ligament complex damage (8/9).
• Post-reduction immobilization (2 weeks) was followed by intensive physiotherapy, with outcomes assessed by stability, range of motion, and MEPI score.

Main Results:

• No elbow instability was observed during follow-up.
• Complications included post-traumatic elbow contracture, periarticular ossifications, and radial head endoprosthesis loosening.

Conclusions:

• Surgical reduction and physiotherapy are effective in managing chronically unreduced posterior elbow dislocations.
• Recommendations for managing these challenging cases were formulated based on the study findings.