Treatment strategies for simple elbow dislocation - a systematic review

Area of Science:

• Orthopedic Surgery
• Sports Medicine
• Rehabilitation

Background:

• Simple elbow dislocations are treated conservatively or surgically.
• This systematic review compares treatment strategies for adult simple elbow luxation.

Approach:

• A PRISMA-guided systematic review of 17 randomized controlled trials was performed.
• Literature search included PubMed and Scopus using keywords related to elbow dislocation and therapy.
• Outcome parameters included range of motion (ROM), Mayo Elbow Performance Score (MEPS), and pain (VAS).

Key Points:

• Early mobilization after conservative treatment improved ROM compared to immobilization.
• Surgical and conservative treatments showed similar outcomes in ROM and MEPS.
• Patients with significant instability may benefit from primary surgical intervention.

Conclusions:

• Conservative treatment with early functional training is the first-line approach for simple elbow dislocations.
• Surgical intervention offers comparable results to conservative care for mild instability.
• Early mobilization is crucial for improving patient outcomes and ROM in both treatment groups.