ELBOW INJURY OVERVIEW
Your elbow joint is made up of bone, cartilage, ligaments, and fluid. Muscles and tendons help the elbow joint move. When any of these structures is hurt or diseased, you have elbow problems.
Many things can make your elbow hurt. A common cause is tendinitis, inflammation, or injury to the tendons that attach muscle to bone. Tendinitis of the elbow is a sports injury, often from playing tennis or golf. You may also get tendinitis from overuse of the elbow.
Common Elbow Conditions and Injuries
UCL / Tommy John
UCL injury may result from repetitive elbow stress or trauma, which is why throwers have the highest risk. Throwing motions, twisting and bending of the elbow put extreme stress on the ligament. Over time, the UCL can develop tiny or large tears. The ligament stretches and lengthens to the point where it can’t hold the bones tightly enough during throwing or other activities. UCL reconstruction is also called Tommy John surgery.
Tennis Elbow
Tennis Elbow is inflammation, degeneration, or partial tearing of the tendons that join the forearm muscles on the outside of the elbow. Symptoms of tennis elbow develop gradually and worsen over time. Usually, tennis elbow is treated non-surgically.
Elbow Fractures
The major differentiation for a fracture compared to all of the aforementioned injuries is that a fracture signifies a break in the bone. Although typically very small, these fractures can result in a large amount of pain and potential complications.
There are several different types of fractures that a person can have, such as:
- An oblique fracture
- A stable fracture
- A compound fracture
- A comminuted fracture
- A transverse fracture
It is important to seek professional treatment for a fracture in order to set the bone properly before it begins to heal.
WHY CHOOSE SANO?
We know that surgery isn’t always necessary, and is certainly not the first or only method of treatment. Our goal is to relieve pain and help restore the proper function and alignment of the elbow with a treatment plan that fits your need. Our qualified team takes their extensive training and fellowships and puts it to use to develop a unique treatment plan for you. You can be confident in our team’s approach to returning you to your active lifestyle.
Learn More About Elbow Injuries & Elbow Procedures
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