Elbow Dislocation

An elbow becomes dislocated when the bones of the forearm (the ulna and radius) are forcibly moved out of place in relation to the bone of the upper arm (the humerus). The elbow joint, formed at the juncture where these three bones meet, then is termed dislocated or simply out of joint. This often results in tearing of the ligaments of the elbow but does not often result in recurrent dislocations.

Significant and serious injuries that can occur are damage in the arm itself (the various vessels that carry blood to the hand), fractures (the breaking of the bones in the arm), and injuries to the nerves that extend through the elbow area, thus impairing movement and the feeling in both arm and hand.