ORTHO - Elbow

Elbow Conditions and Injuries

• Cubitus valgus is a condition characterized by an abnormal outward angulation of the forearm at the elbow, causing the arm to deviate away from the body, typically more than 15 inches.

Elbow Strength and Special Tests

• Tinel's sign is a special test for the elbow, which involves tapping near the elbow, and a positive sign includes tapping near the cubital tunnel.

Causes of Elbow Arthritis

• The number one cause of elbow arthritis is unknown, but various factors can contribute to its development.

Elbow Injuries and Diagnosis

• A 30-year-old male patient complaining of sudden, sharp pain in the anterior elbow after feeling a "pop" when lifting a heavy couch, with tenderness and bruising, and a muscle bulge with resisted elbow flexion, is likely to have a bicep rupture.
• A patient complaining of pain at the medial elbow with numbness and tingling of the ring and small finger, with a positive Tinel's sign at the elbow, is likely to have cubital tunnel syndrome.
• A patient with a red, painful, and swollen elbow, which is aspirated for differential diagnosis, is likely to have septic arthritis.
• A patient with a posterior fat pad on a lateral X-ray is likely to have a supracondylar fracture, which is the most common elbow fracture in pediatric patients.
• A patient with elbow pain and tenderness over the lateral epicondyle with resisted wrist extension and supination, such as after a weekend of tennis, is likely to have lateral epicondylitis.
• A child who cries out in pain while being swung by their parent, with a pop sound, and an X-ray that rules out a fracture, is likely to have a pulled elbow or nursemaid's elbow.
• A golfer, such as Joe, who experiences pain in the elbow after a weekend of golfing, is likely to have medial epicondylitis.
• A baseball pitcher who feels a pop while throwing a pitch and experiences pain is likely to have an ulnar collateral ligament injury.