When the bones of the elbow get moved out from their joint it is called elbow dislocation. It is quite a common problem which arises due to fall, injury, fracture, accident and repetitive activities while keeping the elbow joints stable. This makes your elbow more unstable and dislocated. When the surface of the joints is separated completely is called complete dislocation. Another is subluxation in which surfaces of the joints are separated but not completely.

Types of Elbow Dislocation

It includes three kinds of injuries and these are mentioned below:-

Simple injury without major bone injury
Complex injury with broken bones and there is a requirement of the surgery
In severe dislocation, both nerves and blood vessels get injured

Symptoms of Elbow Dislocation

There are signs which show that the individual has an elbow dislocation:-

Tingling
Pain in the elbow and mostly occur at the joint
Numbness
Deformity
Inflammation
Not able to move your elbow
Feeling like the elbow is slipping out of joint

Procedure for Dislocated Elbow Treatment

Dislocated elbow can be treated in the following way:-

Diagnosis

It is the first step where your doctor will run the following tests to determine the exact problem. These tests are as given below:-

Physical examination is done by your healthcare provider to check swelling, deformity and tenderness. It also includes the checking of nerve and blood flow.
There are some imaging tests to see the direction of this deformity and these are mentioned below:-

CT scan
MRI
X-Ray
Musculoskeletal ultrasound

Treatment

Its treatment depends on some factors. If this type of injury occurs during sports activity then a physician will reduce its pain, discomfort and swelling at the field. In other cases some intravenous sedation is required.

There are some treatment options and these are mentioned below:-

Non-Invasive Option

It includes:-

Pain and inflammatory medicines
Physical therapy
Applying ice or heat pack on the elbow joint
Exercises to strengthen the joints

Invasive Option

It is quite a complicated procedure which includes the joining of torn tendons, ligaments and fractured bones. For simple deformation, there is no requirement of surgery. However, when there is injury in the tissue due to bone fracture then there is requirement of major surgery.

It is known as elbow dislocation surgery which is done to treat severe dislocation, such as torn ligaments and tendons and fractured bone. It is a complex procedure in which a healthcare provider will repair damaged tissues by using patches or grafting. It includes:-

Repair and Reconstruct Tendon and Ligament

During dislocation, both ligament and tendon get torn. Your orthopaedic will repair and reconstruct to resume the strength and function of the elbow. This repair will also minimize the risk of future dislocation.

Advanced Arthroscopic Techniques

In this advanced process, the doctor will make a cut in the elbow. Then a thin and flexible tube with a micro camera is inserted through the incision, it is called arthroscope. This instrument is used to view the structure of the elbow. It gives painless treatment with quicker recovery.

Recovery from Dislocated Elbow

Its recovery time depends on its number of weeks:-

1-4 Weeks

Swelling is reduced by using ice and some kind of motion exercise can be done while keeping the elbow raised. The soft-tissue mobilization is advised by a physical therapist which is done by massaging the affected area.