Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 3, 2025
07:56
A Standardized Method for Measurement of Elbow Kinesthesia
Published on: October 10, 2020
7.1K
Floating Elbow in Adults: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Konstantinos Ditsios1, Panagiotis Christidis2, Panagiotis Konstantinou1
1Second Academic Department of Orthopedic Surgery, General Hospital of Thessaloniki "G. Gennimatas", Greece.
Orthopedic Reviews
|February 13, 2024
Summary
This systematic review of floating elbow injuries in adults found that intra-articular and nerve damage, open fractures, and multi-system injuries negatively impact outcomes. Limited evidence exists, but predictors for functional outcomes were identified.
Area of Science:
- Orthopedic Surgery
- Trauma Care
- Systematic Review Methodology
Background:
- Floating elbow injuries in adults are complex orthopedic emergencies.
- Understanding the characteristics and outcomes of floating elbow injuries is crucial for effective management.
Purpose of the Study:
- To systematically review existing literature on floating elbow injuries in adult patients.
- To identify factors influencing functional outcomes and complications.
Main Methods:
- Comprehensive search of MEDLINE, Cochrane Bone, Joint and Muscle Trauma, PROSPERO, and Scopus databases up to August 31, 2020.
- Inclusion of studies reporting functional outcomes for patients aged 17+ with floating elbow injuries.
- Assessment of the methodological quality of included studies.
Main Results:
- Thirty-two studies met inclusion criteria, predominantly involving male patients (73.1%) with a median age of 33 years.
- Intra-articular involvement (24.4%), open fractures (51.2%), neural injury (34.9%), and multi-system injuries (76.3%) were common.
- Multivariate analysis indicated intra-articular and nerve damage, open fractures, and multi-system injuries significantly impacted range of motion, union, and complications.
Conclusions:
- The current body of evidence on adult floating elbow injuries is of very-low quality.
- Despite limitations, key pre-operative predictors for functional outcomes were identified, including intra-articular and nerve damage, open fractures, and multi-system injuries.
