Elbow Anatomy

The elbow joint  A hinge joint  Made up of  Bones  Ligaments  Muscles  Nerves  Bursae

Bones  Three bones make up the elbow  Humerus  Radius  ulna

Humerus  Part of the upper arm  The most weight bearing bone of the arm  Distal humerus meets with the ulna and radius to create the elbow joint

Humerus  Bony landmarks of the humerus  Medial and lateral epicondyles  Bony parts of the elbow

Humerus  Medial and Lateral Supracondylar Ridges

Humerus  Olecranon fossa  The hook where the ulna fits into place  Allows for the ulna to be “locked” in place

Radius  Short bone of the lower arm that is on the THUMB side of the arm  The only bone that rotates over the ulna

Radius  Bony landmarks of the radius  Radial tuberosity  distal  Radial head  Proximal

Ulna  Short bone that is on the PINKY side of the lower arm  Fixed in place.

Ulna  Olecranon  Bony part of your elbow

Ulna  Bony landmarks of the ulna  Ulnar head

Movements of the Elbow  4 movements  Flexion  Extension  Supination  Pronation

Flexion  The forearm moves toward the humerus

Extension  Straightening your arm  The forearm moves away from the humerus

Supination  Rotation your elbow so that your palms are up

Pronation  Rotation your elbow so your palms are down

Pronation vs Supination

Muscles and Ligaments  Important muscles of the elbow are the same as the shoulder  Biceps  Triceps

Biceps  Two heads  Elbow flexion

Triceps  Three heads  Elbow extension

Ligaments  There are many important ligaments in the elbow

Ligaments  Radial collateral ligament  Ulnar collateral ligament

Radial Collateral Ligament  On the RADIAL side of the arm  Also known as the lateral side  Stabilizes the joint  Prevents lateral translation of the elbow joint

Ulnar Collateral Ligament  On the ULNAR side of the elbow  Also known as the medial side  Stabilizes the elbow  Prevents medial translation of the elbow

Injuries  Muscle strains and tendonitis  Ligament sprains  Dislocation  Fractures

Muscle Strains and tendonitis  Muscle Strains  Overstretching of the muscles  3 grades  Tendonitis  Inflammation of the tendon

Ligament Sprains  Overstretching of the ligaments  3 grades of severity  Grade 3 is a complete rupture  “Tommy John’s Surgery” is the surgery that repairs a torn UCL  very common in throwing sports

UCL Sprain

Elbow Dislocation  RARELY a subluxation  Caused by forced extension  Gymnasts  Falling

Elbow Dislocation: What do you do?  Stabilize  Call EMS  Monitor vitals

Fractures  Your elbow is made up of 3 bones  Possible to fracture  Most likely caused by a fall or car accident