Authors: Clint Gomes, Richard Lowsby / Editor: Tajek B Hassan / Reviewer: Louise Burrows, Clint Gomes / Code: / Published: 11/03/2022
This session covers the assessment and management of acute elbow injuries commonly seen in the emergency department (ED).
After completing this session you will be able to:
- Describe the basic anatomy of the elbow joint
- Identify the common traumatic elbow injuries that occur in adults and children
- Recognise the common soft tissue injuries affecting the elbow
- Perform an assessment of the patient with an acute elbow injury and establish differential diagnoses
- Interpret the normal and abnormal elbow radiograph
- Propose a management strategy for common elbow injuries that present to the emergency department
References:
- Skaggs DL, Mirzayan R. The posterior fat pad sign in association with occult fracture of the elbow in children. J Bone Joint Surg Am. 1999 Oct;81(10):1429-33.
- Kuhn MA, Ross G. Acute elbow dislocations. Orthop Clin North Am. 2008 Apr;39(2):155-61, v.
- Jackson JD, Steinmann SP. Radial head fractures. Hand Clin. 2007 May;23(2):185-93, vi.
- Strange G, Ahrens W, Schafermeyer R, et al. (2002) Paediatric emergency medicine, 2nd ed. McGraw Hill.
- Ciccotti MC, Schwartz MA, Ciccotti MG. Diagnosis and treatment of medial epicondylitis of the elbow. Clin Sports Med. 2004 Oct;23(4):693-705, xi.
- Lennon RI, Riyat MS, Hilliam R, et al. Can a normal range of elbow movement predict a normal elbow x ray? Emerg Med J. 2007 Feb;24(2):86-8.
- Centres for Disease control and prevention. Normal Joint Range of Motion Study. CDC. [Accessed online 5/2/22]
