Elbow Fracture
Your elbow contains three bones. Any of them may fracture – or break – if you fall onto an outstretched arm or experience a blow to your joint. After an elbow fracture, trust Midwest Orthopedic Specialty Hospital to ease your pain and help restore the use of your arm.
Symptoms of a Broken Elbow
If your elbow fractures, you may notice:
- A popping or snapping sound at the moment of injury
- Pain, swelling and stiffness around your joint
- An inability to straighten your elbow
- Numbness in your fingers
To diagnose your injury, you doctor will gently examine your elbow and use an X-ray or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to see the inside of your joint.
Expert Care for Fractured Elbows
Timely, appropriate treatment for a broken elbow minimizes your risk of further injuries and elbow arthritis. Your doctor may help your joint heal by stabilizing it with a splint or cast.
Surgery may benefit you if:
- Your bone fractured in more than one place
- Bone fragments cut your skin
- Your injury damaged nerves or blood vessels
An experienced surgeon at Midwest Orthopedic Specialty Hospital will put the broken pieces of your bone back together with a combination of pins, plates, screws or stitches. If you lost pieces of bone through a wound after your injury, a doctor may replace them with filler from a bone bank or an artificial substance.
Following surgery, you’ll wear a splint or cast for a short time to help your elbow heal.
Recover With Support
Take advantage of orthopedic rehabilitation to regain strength and range of motion after your fracture or surgery. You might be able get back to moderate activities in a few months, but you’ll continue recovering for a year or more. We’ll serve as a partner throughout your journey, so you get encouragement, support and answers to your questions.