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Management of fractures and dislocations of the elbow in children
1Harvard Combined Orthopaedic Residency Program, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston 02114, USA.
Insights
Pediatric elbow injuries require prompt diagnosis and treatment. This review offers practical guidelines for managing common and uncommon traumatic elbow injuries in children for optimal outcomes.
Area of Science:
- Orthopedic Surgery
- Pediatric Traumatology
Background:
- Elbow injuries are frequent in pediatric patients.
- Effective management hinges on accurate injury assessment and appropriate treatment strategies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To present a practical approach for evaluating and managing traumatic elbow injuries in children.
- To provide guidelines for both common and less frequent pediatric elbow injuries.
Main Methods:
- Review of current literature and clinical best practices for pediatric elbow trauma.
- Emphasis on understanding elbow's physeal anatomy and common injury patterns.
Main Results:
- Timely, accurate injury characterization is crucial for favorable outcomes.
- Stable anatomic reduction and preference for closed treatment methods are key.
- Minimizing soft tissue dissection during operative interventions is important.
Conclusions:
- Comprehensive knowledge of pediatric elbow anatomy and injury patterns is essential.
- A structured approach aids in the successful management of pediatric elbow trauma.
- Guidelines are provided for evaluating and treating diverse pediatric elbow injuries.
Abstract:
Elbow injuries are common in children. The keys to a good outcome include timely, accurate characterization of the injury, stable anatomic reduction, utilization of closed treatment methods whenever possible and limited soft tissue dissection when operative treatment is required. Awareness of the developmental physeal anatomy of the elbow, common injury patterns and potential complications are essential in the management of these injuries. This review presents a practical approach to the management of elbow traumatic injury in the child, providing guidelines for evaluation and treatment for the less common pediatric elbow injuries.