Your child has an injury called nursemaid's elbow. Nursemaid's elbow occurs when one of the bones in the forearm slips out of position at the elbow. It can happen during play or when an adult pulls a child up over a curb or other obstacle. It also can happen when a child's hand is pulled through the sleeve of a sweater or coat. Nursemaid's elbow is common in children between ages 1 and 4. As children grow, their arms get stronger and they no longer get this type of injury.
The doctor may have moved the elbow back in place. This injury usually heals quickly and without permanent damage.
Symptoms of nursemaid's elbow include:
Medical attention is needed if your child has symptoms of nursemaid's elbow.
Nursemaid's elbow should be treated by a doctor.
Allow your child to keep the arm in the most comfortable position until you get medical help.
You can also put an ice pack on your child's elbow. But if your child resists, don't insist. Be careful not to move your child's arm from the most comfortable position.
A doctor will move your child's arm to free the trapped ligament and put the end of the radius back into its normal position. Usually, children start to feel better right away. But sometimes the pain lingers for a bit. It may take from 30 minutes to a few hours for your child to move the arm normally.
The doctor may place a sling or splint on your child's arm until all pain is gone. If your child can move the arm normally without pain soon after treatment, a sling or a splint is not needed.
Your doctor usually suspects the injury from your report of how it happened, your child's symptoms, and results of the physical exam. The doctor will feel different areas of the arm and try to move it into certain positions. Usually X-rays of the elbow are not needed. But your doctor may order one to find out if your child has a more serious injury.
Although your child heals quickly, they have a greater chance of having nursemaid's elbow again, especially in the first few weeks after being injured.
Be sure to follow your doctor's directions on how to care for your child after nursemaid's elbow.
Nursemaid's elbow, also called radial head subluxation, means that the radius has pulled away from its normal position. (The radius is one of two long bones in the lower arm, or forearm.) The ligament that supports the radial bone then slips into the elbow joint. When this happens, the radial bone can't move back into its normal place.
The radius connects to the elbow joint at one end. The other end connects into the wrist joint.
Nursemaid's elbow happens when a child is pulled or lifted by the hand or wrist while their arm is held straight. For example, the bone can pull out of position when you try to lift a child up onto a sidewalk by the hand. Or it could happen when you pull a child's hand to get them to move faster or when you hold onto a child's hands and swing them around while playing.
Nursemaid's elbow most often occurs in young children. This is because the socket of the elbow joint and the supporting ligaments are not fully developed. This injury is especially common in children between ages 2 and 3 years. But it can happen anytime between 6 months of age and 7 years. After age 3, children's joints and ligaments gradually grow stronger. This makes this injury less likely to happen.
Call your doctor now or seek immediate medical care if:
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