They are frequent in children and can become complex.
The fractures of the elbow include a wide spectrum of injuries whose treatment ranges from a brief period of immobilization and immediate rehabilitation to complex surgery and long periods of rehabilitation.
Dr. Ashu Consul an elbow and shoulder specialist traumatologist, orthopaedic surgeon in Delhi, indicates that when faced with a traumatic elbow injury, the first thing to do is apply ice, immobilize with a sling and consult an emergency or trauma service to Clinically and imaging the lesion.
“In those minor fractures, for example, fractures of the radius dome without displacement, a short immobilization period of 7-10 days is sufficient, and then early mobilization begins, sometimes assisted with kinesiology depending on the injury, ”orthopaedic in Delhi explains.
Above all, in children, elbow fractures are frequent, especially those that involve the distal humerus says the orthopaedic doctor in Delhi. “Its management ranges from plaster for 3 weeks in those nondisplaced fractures, and surgery with reduction (alignment of the fracture) and needle fixation in those displaced fractures,” he indicates.
There are severe elbow injuries that occur in higher energy trauma and these involve severe bone or soft tissue (ligament) injury. “These types of injuries may require a complex plate and screw fixation surgeries and long periods of rehabilitation,” says Dr. Consul.
The elbow is a joint in which stiffness is frequently presented as a complication, which is why its management must be carried out by specialists, both trauma and kinesiologists, he emphasizes.
Full and definitive recovery from a complex elbow fracture can take 6 to 8 months.