Your elbow joint consists of three bones: the humerus (upper arm bone), the ulna (forearm bone on your pinky side) and the radius (forearm bone on the thumb side). A fracture happens when any part of the elbow bone breaks, including the bony tip of the elbow.
Your elbow allows you to straighten and bend your arm. It also lets you twist your forearm to turn your palm up or down. Because the elbow is so complex, a fracture can be a serious injury and limit your arm’s range of motion.
Experts at Summit Orthopedics in the Minneapolis/St. Paul area diagnose and treat elbow fractures with the highest level of care, focusing on finding a treatment with the fastest recovery.
How Do I Know If My Elbow Is Fractured?
If you break your elbow, you will feel sudden, intense pain. You will likely have trouble moving your arm. Other signs include swelling and bruising around the elbow, and sometimes you might feel numbness or tingling in your fingers.
What Causes an Elbow Fracture?
A broken elbow usually happens when your elbow receives a strong force, such as during a car or bike accident.
A few specific causes include:
- Falling directly on the elbow
- Falling on an outstretched arm
- Hitting your elbow on something hard
In children, most elbow fractures happen when they fall on an outstretched hand.
Diagnosing Elbow Fractures
Your doctor will start with a physical examination. They will ask you about what happened and how you got hurt. During the exam, the doctor will check your arm for cuts, swelling or bruising. They will also feel around the elbow to check for any other broken bones or areas of tenderness.
An important part of this exam is checking your elbow’s blood flow and nerves. The doctor will check your pulse at the wrist to make sure blood is flowing well to your hand. They will also test your ability to move your fingers and wrist and determine if you can feel things with your fingers. This helps your doctor determine if there is any damage to major nerves or blood vessels that run through the elbow.
The main tool doctors use to confirm a fracture is X-ray imaging. These images help the doctor see exactly where the fracture is and whether the pieces of bone have moved out of place. Sometimes, if the doctor suspects another injury, they may also order X-rays of your shoulder or wrist.
How Do You Treat a Fractured Elbow?
The main goal of treating an elbow fracture is to regain the full motion of the elbow.
Your care team will usually put a splint on your elbow and give you a sling to help keep the elbow in place. They may also give you medication to help reduce pain.
Elbow fractures often require surgery, and you will likely need surgery if the fracture involves bones moving out of place or breaking through your skin.
The most common surgery for a broken elbow is called open reduction and internal fixation. This procedure involves moving the broken pieces of bone back into their correct position and then holding them firmly in place with metal devices like screws, wires, pins or metal plates.
Nonsurgical approaches
Sometimes your doctor can treat an elbow fracture without surgery. Nonsurgical treatment is usually only an option if the bone fragments have not moved out of place.
If the bones are aligned correctly, the doctor can use a splint or a cast to hold the elbow still to allow it to heal properly. In most cases, you will wear the splint or cast for about six weeks, and your doctor will frequently take X-rays to make sure your bone pieces haven’t shifted. If the pieces do shift, you may need surgery.
How Long Does It Take for an Elbow Fracture to Heal?
Full healing can take more than a year. Most patients can return to their normal daily activities within about four months, but regaining full strength often takes longer.
Recovery from an elbow fracture usually requires physical therapy to get your full movement back. Whether you had surgery or not, your doctor or a physical therapist will give you exercises to help improve how far your arm can move, decrease stiffness and make your muscles stronger.
Care for Elbow Fractures at Summit Orthopedics
When you have a broken elbow, we act fast and with care. We understand the pain and limits an elbow fracture can cause. Our team of experts collaborates to accurately diagnose the break and provide you with precise treatment.
Summit Orthopedics surgeons are available at nearly 30 convenient locations across the Minneapolis/St. Paul metro area, serving Minnesota and western Wisconsin. Our state-of-the-art, comprehensive orthopedic centers offer same-day appointments from a team of experts who offer the full scope of orthopedic care.
