Broken ElbowMedical Author:
John P. Cunha, DO, FACOEP
John P. Cunha, DO, FACOEPJohn P. Cunha, DO, is a U.S. board-certified Emergency Medicine Physician. Dr. Cunha's educational background includes a BS in Biology from Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey, and a DO from the Kansas City University of Medicine and Biosciences in Kansas City, MO. He completed residency training in Emergency Medicine at Newark Beth Israel Medical Center in Newark, New Jersey. Medical Editor:
Charles Patrick Davis, MD, PhD
Charles Patrick Davis, MD, PhDDr. Charles "Pat" Davis, MD, PhD, is a board certified Emergency Medicine doctor who currently practices as a consultant and staff member for hospitals. He has a PhD in Microbiology (UT at Austin), and the MD (Univ. Texas Medical Branch, Galveston). He is a Clinical Professor (retired) in the Division of Emergency Medicine, UT Health Science Center at San Antonio, and has been the Chief of Emergency Medicine at UT Medical Branch and at UTHSCSA with over 250 publications. Medical Editor:
Jerry R. Balentine, DO, FACEP
Jerry R. Balentine, DO, FACEPDr. Balentine received his undergraduate degree from McDaniel College in Westminster, Maryland. He attended medical school at the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine graduating in1983. He completed his internship at St. Joseph's Hospital in Philadelphia and his Emergency Medicine residency at Lincoln Medical and Mental Health Center in the Bronx, where he served as chief resident.
Broken Elbow OverviewElbow injuries are common in both adults and children. Early recognition and treatment of a fractured elbow injury can reduce the risk of complications and later disability. Any serious injury of the elbow deserves medical attention. The elbow is a complex joint formed by 3 bones:
A normal elbow joint allows these motions:
Serious injuries, such as fractures (a bone break) and dislocations, can damage the bones and other structures of the elbow, resulting in problems with movement, blood vessel function, and nerve function. In children, fractures can affect the growth and development of the bones. This is because children have many bone "growth plates," a part of the bone where bone growth takes place. Bone growth continues throughout childhood; if one of these "growth plates" is involved in a fracture, it can affect bone development. A fractured elbow is a break that involves one or more of the three arm bones where they work together to form the elbow joint. Broken Elbow CausesPeople can injure an elbow in a variety of ways, from overuse (athletic injuries) to an acute traumatic event (a fall or direct blow). Some common events that result in elbow fractures:
Viewer Comments & ReviewsBroken Elbow - CausesThe eMedicineHealth physician editors ask:What was the cause of your broken elbow? |
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Broken Elbow
Are X-rays Safe?
The use of X-rays allows physicians to look inside the body to diagnosis an injury or illness. When done for appropriate situations, X-rays are safe and beneficial. It is important that X-rays are not misused or overused because over a lifetime, a person may be exposed to a fairly large amount of cumulative radiation, and it is important than the benefit of each X-ray test be considered before it is done.
Radiologic technologists are trained to use the least amount of radiation possible to produce an image that will help with diagnosis. The technologist or the radiologist (the physician who supervises the testing and then interprets the X-ray images) is often able to tell the patient how much radiation is being used.
If you ask, and are told a dose of radiation, you may not understand what a dose of 1 millisievert (mSv) might mean. But if this effective dose is converted into the amount of time it would take you to accumulate the sa...
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Fracture, Elbow »
Elbow fractures are commonly encountered in the acute care setting.
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