An elbow hyperextension is an injury that results when the elbow is bent beyond its normal angle. When this happens, the elbow can suffer damage to its ligaments and bones. The affected individual can also experience an elbow dislocation.
A hyperextension injury of the elbow joint can in theory occur to anyone. However, in practice, it is most commonly seen in contact sports like football or in combat sports like boxing or judo. However, it is also sometimes seen in other sports such as tennis and gymnastics.
The main treatment options for a mild or moderate elbow hyperextension include rest and cold therapy. For more serious injuries, corrective surgery may be required.
The human elbow contains 3 joints. However, of these three, the one that plays the most important role in elbow flexion and extension is the humeroulnar joint. It has this name due to its location where the upper arm bone (the humerus) meets the forearm bone (the ulnar).
Elbow hyperextension occurs when the humeroulnar joint is bent too far backwards and goes outside of its natural range of motion. The situations in which this most often tends to happen are:
Individuals who suffer a hyperextended elbow will experience some or all of the following:
Individuals who have some or all of these symptoms should make an appointment with a healthcare professional for medical advice.
For severe injuries, there may be bone fragments piercing the skin. If so , the patient should immediately go to the nearest emergency room for urgent medical attention.
To diagnose whether the patient has suffered an elbow hyperextension, the doctor will review his or her medical history. In addition, he or she will perform a thorough physical examination of the injured elbow.
The doctor will try to understand the exact location of the pain and what types of elbow movements make it worse.
The doctor will also likely request an imaging scan (either CT or X-Ray). These will help the doctor see if there are any bone fractures. They can also reveal the extent of soft tissue damage.
The doctor may determine that the elbow hyperextension is a mild or moderate injury with no bone fractures. If so, he or she may suggest the following:
If the hyperextension is so severe that a bone fracture or other damage has occurred, surgery may be necessary. Afterwards, the patient will be advised to immobilize the elbow for a period of weeks to allow complete healing.
As with conservative treatments, physical therapy will be needed to help the patient return to normal physical activities.
If the elbow hyperextension is a mild one, the patient can expect to feel better after a few days of immobilization.
However, if the injury is severe and requires surgery, recovery will take longer. The patient should expect to have to keep the elbow immobilized for a month or more.
It is important to be patient and follow the doctor’s guidance as to how long the elbow should be immobilized. A premature return to physical activities could cause problems such as long term elbow instability or even arthritis.
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