Elbow floating in children: About three cases and literature review

The aim of this study was to determine the epidemiological, lesion, treatment and outcome of the 'floating elbow' in children.

It was two boys and a girl with a mean age of 7 years. The average consultation time was 3.6 h. In two patients, the trauma had occurred during playful accident with fall from a height. Supracondylar fracture was associated with a fracture epiphyseal separation-type II distal end of the right radius in one case, a fracture of the distal quarter of the bones 2 of the forearm in the second patient and fracture quarter distal radius in the third patient. All fractures of the elbow were treated by osteosynthesis as well as a fracture of the distal radius ¼. The average hospital stay was 5 days. After a mean of 8 months was rated limitation of elbow flexion to 100° in a patient, an externalisation of the pins at the elbow in M3 in one patient and a limitation of elbow extension at 30° in 2 patients. One patient had a varus ulna. The pronosupination was preserved in all patients.

The 'floating elbow' is unusual in children and usually occurs during a high-energy trauma. His treatment is not yet the subject of consensus. Complications often involve the elbow.