Simple and stable elbow dislocations: results after conservative treatment

Area of Science:

• Orthopedic Surgery
• Traumatology
• Rehabilitation Medicine

Background:

• Elbow dislocations are common adult injuries, often resulting from falls.
• Posterior dislocation of the radius and ulna is the most frequent type.
• Past conservative treatment involved prolonged plaster immobilization.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess outcomes of simple, stable elbow dislocations treated conservatively.
• To evaluate the effectiveness of modern conservative management strategies.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective study of 26 patients treated between January 2012 and December 2018.
• Clinical functional tests assessed range of motion and stability.
• Patient-reported outcomes measured using DASH, MEPS, and SF-36 questionnaires.

Main Results:

• Prolonged immobilization correlated with increased flexion-extension stiffness and longer rehabilitation.
• Pronation-supination recovery was consistently optimal.
• Activities of Daily Living (ADLs) were influenced by the trauma and its management.

Conclusions:

• Conservative treatment for simple elbow dislocations generally provides satisfactory outcomes.
• A clear patient management protocol is crucial for identifying unstable injuries.
• Early mobilization appears beneficial for elbow function recovery.