Subjektives und funktionelles Outcome nach akut-ligamentärer Ellenbogenluxation: Operative vs. konservative Therapie

Background: Conservative treatment of simple elbow dislocations is promoted; however, the importance of primary surgical treatment for these injuries has not been evaluated. Objectives: The objective of this study was to assess the results of the surgical and nonsurgical treatment of simple elbow dislocations regarding subjective patient satisfaction and joint stability. Materials and methods: Patients with surgically and nonsurgically treated simple elbow dislocations were included into this study. The elbow function was assessed by the Elbow Self-Assessment Score (ESAS). For objective evaluation, an ultrasound evaluation of the affected and the contralateral healthy elbow was performed. Results: A total of 20 patients with an average age of 47 ± 13.1 years were clinically and sonographically assessed. The mean follow-up was 44 ± 18.5 months (range 15–84 months); 10 patients were treated nonsurgically and 10 surgically. The ESAS was not significantly different between the nonsurgical (91.8 ± 18.5 points) and the surgical treatment group (91.6 ± 15.5 points; n. s.). In addition, the ultrasound evaluation showed no instability in either treatment group. Conclusions: Both nonsurgical and surgical treatment can lead to high patient satisfaction and sonographic stability in simple elbow dislocations. Regarding the joint stability, the subjective perception does not necessarily correlate with the ultrasound findings.