Elbow Fracture-Dislocations: Determining Treatment Strategies.

Link: https://doi.org/S0749-0712(20)30095-0
Authors: Luchetti, Timothy J; Abbott, Emily E; Baratz, Mark E

Abstract: Elbow dislocations represent common injuries. A quarter of these injuries involve at least 1 fracture. The sequel of elbow fracture-dislocations can be fraught with complications, including recurrent instability, posttraumatic arthritis, elbow contracture, and poor functional results. The 3 main patterns of injury are valgus posterolateral rotatory instability, varus posteromedial rotatory instability, and transolecranon fracture-dislocation. This article discusses each pattern individually, including the anatomy, the typical injury pattern, and treatment strategies. It also discusses common complications that can occur.