5-Minute Emergency Consult
Nursemaid’s Elbow
Basics
Description
The most common elbow injury in children <5 yr old. Peak incidence is between 2 and 3 yr of age. It has been reported in children as old as 9 yr
Etiology
- Longitudinal traction while the elbow is pronated and extended can cause radial head subluxation by swinging the child, wrestling, and lifting the child by the arms
- Sudden traction on the distal radius leads to a portion of the annular ligament slipping over the radial head and becoming trapped between the radius and the capitellum
- By the time the child is 5 yr, the annular ligament is thick and strong and resists tearing and/or displacement
- Often referred to as “pulled elbow” or subluxation of the radial head
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Citation
Schaider, Jeffrey J., et al., editors. "Nursemaid’s Elbow." 5-Minute Emergency Consult, 7th ed., Wolters Kluwer, 2027. Emergency Central, emergency.unboundmedicine.com/emergency/view/5-Minute_Emergency_Consult/307326/all/Nursemaid’s_Elbow.
Nursemaid’s Elbow. In: Schaider JJJ, Barkin RMR, Hayden SRS, et al, eds. 5-Minute Emergency Consult. Wolters Kluwer; 2027. https://emergency.unboundmedicine.com/emergency/view/5-Minute_Emergency_Consult/307326/all/Nursemaid’s_Elbow. Accessed July 10, 2026.
Nursemaid’s Elbow. (2027). In Schaider, J. J., Barkin, R. M., Hayden, S. R., Wolfe, R. E., Barkin, A. Z., Shayne, P., & Rosen, P. (Eds.), 5-Minute Emergency Consult (7th ed.). Wolters Kluwer. https://emergency.unboundmedicine.com/emergency/view/5-Minute_Emergency_Consult/307326/all/Nursemaid’s_Elbow
Nursemaid’s Elbow [Internet]. In: Schaider JJJ, Barkin RMR, Hayden SRS, et al, eds. 5-Minute Emergency Consult. Wolters Kluwer; 2027. [cited 2026 July 10]. Available from: https://emergency.unboundmedicine.com/emergency/view/5-Minute_Emergency_Consult/307326/all/Nursemaid’s_Elbow.
* Article titles in AMA citation format should be in sentence-case
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