On Tuesday, April 30, 2024, Dr. Peter Rippey, a Family Medicine Physician from USA Sports Medicine lectured on the elbow and the injuries commonly sustained during physical activity.
First, Dr. Rippey went over the anatomy and mechanics of the elbow. The tips of the humerus and the radius and ulna make up the elbow joint. He also touched a little on the muscle and nerve anatomy around the elbow. The UCL is one of the most commonly injured ligaments in the elbow, and if torn, it will require surgery to replace. The elbow has flexion and supination-pronation, with almost full movement. Elbow injuries can be easily seen on an x-ray by checking the alignment of the humerus and ulna, along with blood that forms a "sail sign." Some other commonly diagnosed elbow injuries include Osteochondritis Dissecans, Arcade of Frotose, Elbow Tendinopathy, Little League Elbow, Olecranon Bursitis, Valgus Extension Overload, Distal Biceps Rupture, and Median Nerve Entrapment.
He also talked about Elbow Dislocation, which is the 3rd most common dislocated joint, and usually a posterior dislocation. Dr. Rippey also touched on Nursemaid's Elbow, which occurs when the radius (one of the bones in the forearm) slips out of place from where it normally attaches to the elbow joint and is most commonly seen in children ages 1-4. Elbow Fractures such as an Olecranon Fracture, Distal Humerus Fracture, and Radial head/neck fractures are extremely common in Sports-related injuries.
This lecture was very interesting to me as many don't necessarily think of how many ways the elbow can be injured in not only an athletic environment but also in our daily lives!
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