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Common Clinical Conditions of the Elbow

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Clinical Foundations of Musculoskeletal Medicine

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Abstract

The elbow is a crucial element in upper extremity function and acts as a link between shoulder and hand function. Adequate elbow function is crucial for many activities of daily living and can be affected by numerous conditions. Traumatic conditions include both bony and soft tissue injury. Common fractures around the elbow include distal humerus fractures, olecranon fractures, radial head fractures, and pediatric supracondylar fractures. Soft tissue injuries include elbow dislocations, collateral ligament injury, and distal biceps rupture. Common inflammatory processes include lateral epicondylitis, medial epicondylitis, and olecranon bursitis. Elbow arthritis is a degenerative condition which can be secondary to multiple conditions. The most common compressive neuropathy around the elbow is cubital tunnel syndrome, compression of the ulnar nerve. There are numerous treatment strategies to address elbow pathology – both nonoperative and operative – with the goals to relieve pain and restore function.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Orthopaedics, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA

    Daniel Carpenter & Reid W. Draeger

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  1. Daniel Carpenter
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  2. Reid W. Draeger
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Correspondence to Reid W. Draeger .

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  1. Department of Orthopedics, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA

    Robert J. Esther

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Carpenter, D., Draeger, R.W. (2021). Common Clinical Conditions of the Elbow. In: Esther, R.J. (eds) Clinical Foundations of Musculoskeletal Medicine. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-42894-5_26

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-42894-5_26

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