Elbow Arthroscopy

Are you suffering from elbow pain? Have you tried nonsurgical treatments, but still haven’t found the desired results? Some individuals find that minimally invasive elbow surgery finally gives them a chance to live a pain-free life.

Elbow Arthroscopy Resources

• Anatomy of The Elbow Joint
• Common Elbow Injuries
• What to Expect During an Elbow Arthroscopy

Many people don’t realize how crucial the elbow joint is for everyday functioning until they start to experience problems. Let’s take a look at your elbow and why it might be causing your discomfort.

Anatomy of The Elbow Joint

The elbow is a combination hinge and pivot joint that connects your upper arm to your lower arm. Three bones meet at this joint. Your upper arm bone (or humerus) connects with your two lower arm bones (the ulna and radius). Collateral ligaments hold the bones together. In addition, a series of muscles, tendons, and nerves criss-cross at the elbow.

The elbow joint allows the arm to flex and extend. In addition, it enables the rotation of the forearm and wrist. Activities like throwing, picking up objects, and even getting dressed involve the elbow joint.

Repetitive stress, sports activities, falls, and conditions like arthritis can all cause elbow pain. In fact, even poor posture while sitting at a desk or using a computer may put added stress on the elbow.

Common elbow injuries include:

• Tennis Elbow: This occurs when the tendons that connect the forearm muscles to the elbow become injured or inflamed. Those with tennis elbow often experience tenderness and pain on the outside of the elbow. This can result in response to overuse of the area, especially during sports like tennis.
• Golfer’s Elbow: Similar to tennis elbow, this condition also involves the muscle tendons. Unlike tennis elbow, pain from golfer’s elbow occurs on the medial (or inside) portion of the elbow.
• Fractured Elbow: An elbow fracture may result from a fall, trauma to the area, or a twisting injury to the arm. Sometimes an elbow injury can also cause strains, sprains, or dislocations in the elbow.
• Osteochondritis Dissecans: This joint condition occurs when a small sliver of bone or cartilage starts to separate from the ulna, radius, or humerus because of reduced blood flow to the area. This disorder is most common in children and adolescents.
• Elbow Arthritis: Arthritis is another joint condition that can be caused by a variety of factors. Elbow arthritis occurs when the joints become inflamed. The most common form of elbow arthritis is osteoarthritis—when the cartilage protecting the elbow begins to wear away, resulting in joint stiffness, elbow swelling, and pain.

What to Expect During an Elbow Arthroscopy

In most cases, an orthopedic surgeon conducts an elbow arthroscopy while you are under general anesthesia. This means that you are asleep during the procedure. The surgeon puts you in the position that will give him or her the best access to your elbow. In addition, the surgeon usually draws lines on the arms to indicate nerves and bones as well as incision sites.

Prior to the incision, you will receive intravenous antibiotics to reduce your risk of infection after the procedure. Your surgeon will also fill the elbow joint up with a saline solution. This allows the surgeon to take a better look at your elbow and reduces the risk of injury to nearby nerves and blood vessels.

Next, your surgeon will make a series of small incisions to allow for entry of the arthroscope (a tiny camera) and other small instruments. In most cases, the incisions are only an inch or two in length. Images from the arthroscope are projected onto a nearby screen as the surgeon works on the area. The surgeon then evaluates the elbow and decides the best treatment options for you.

During the surgery, several key procedures may be used to repair your elbow. For example, your surgeon may remove bone fragments, known as loose bodies. Furthermore, those with osteoarthritis may undergo an arthroscopic debridement to remove any bony growths or initiate articular cartilage repair. The small instruments employed by your doctor also allow for the repair of tennis elbow and other similar conditions.

Once the elbow arthroscopy is complete, the surgeon stitches or covers the incisions. He or she will also apply dressings to the area. Depending on the type of procedure, an elbow splint may also be used to restrict movement so that the area heals more quickly.