“Does elbow dislocation require surgery?”
My sister was playing soccer and dislocated her elbow. Will it require surgery or a cast?
9 Answers
Cast
What is her age? It really depends if there was any other injuries such as a fracture. Most of the time if someone dislocates the elbow and then has it reduced and there are no fractures it can heal without surgery. Initially there is a period of immobilization then physical therapy to gradually get back the range of motion and strength. Most the time it takes about three months to get back to normal. If the elbow should be unstable after that surgery may be an option but most of the time these can be treated without surgery again if no other injuries such as fractures occur.
Usually not unless there are associated fractures or instability noted by the Orthopedist.
Usually does not require surgery
Surgery is not usually required unless the elbow is unstable. If casting is used, it is usually less than 2 weeks.
No, it does not. It can be closed/reduced in the ER. Treated with a splint and then rehab.
It depends on what was injured in the dislocation. An MRI could be obtained to see exactly which structures were injured. Many times conservative treatment can be successful if there are not intra-articular or significant ligament injuries sustained.
Likely neither, as long as there is no bone fracture, most patients can just do active range of motion and allow the tissues to heal without the need for surgery.
If there is no fracture and the elbow is in place (“reduced”) then the best course of action is a splint for no more 3-5 days - and then start range of motion with a physical therapist. Immobilizing the elbow longer than that increases the risk of permanent stiffness or stiffness that may require special bracing or even surgery to correct. Most “simple” dislocations (meaning a dislocation without a fracture) respond very well to conservative treatment if treated early and aggressively as I stated above.
