Brachial artery injury. A complication of posterior elbow dislocation

A case is presented of a 32-year-old man who sustained a closed posterior dislocation of the left elbow. The dislocation was reduced immediately under intravenous sedation. When, after reduction, the pulse remained weak, angiography revealed a complete tear of the brachial artery. The artery was repaired with end-to-end anastomosis, resulting in a good radial pulse at the end of the procedure. Though dislocation of the elbow is a relatively common traumatic injury, associated brachial artery injury is rare. The authors note that the diagnosis of arterial trauma in such cases should rely heavily on angiography.