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Anatomy of the Elbow

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The Unstable Elbow

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Abstract

The elbow is classified as a trochoginglymoid joint because it has the abilities to both flex and extend as a hinge and to supinate and pronate about an axis. Its motion is coordinated with the shoulder to position the hand in space away from the trunk and therefore is crucial for everything from activities of daily living to professional athletics. The joint itself is composed of a complex balance of bone and soft tissues that contribute to motion and stability. It is one of the most congruous joints of the musculoskeletal system and also one of the most stable based on almost equal contributions from the soft tissue constraints and the articular surfaces. The primary stabilizers of the elbow are the ulnohumeral joint, medial collateral ligament (MCL) complex, and lateral collateral ligament (LCL) complex. These are each functionally static stabilizers with fixed positions relative to one another through the elbow’s arc of motion. The secondary stabilizers of the elbow are composed of both static and dynamic structures and include in particular the joint capsule, the radiocapitellar joint, and the surrounding musculature. Despite this inherent stability, injuries to the bones or soft tissues of the elbow can ultimately result in an unstable joint prone to subluxation or dislocation.

The purpose of this chapter is to review the contemporary understanding of elbow anatomy and its relationship to normal mechanical stability in order to build a framework to better understand pathologic instability.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Orthopedics, Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center, 1 Medical Center Drive, Lebanon, NH, 03766, USA

    J. Michael Smith MD & John-Erik Bell MD, MS

Authors
  1. J. Michael Smith MD
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  2. John-Erik Bell MD, MS
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to J. Michael Smith MD .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Orthopedics, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA

    Robert Z. Tashjian

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Smith, J.M., Bell, JE. (2017). Anatomy of the Elbow. In: Tashjian, R. (eds) The Unstable Elbow. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-46019-2_1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-46019-2_1

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-46017-8

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-46019-2

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