5-Minute Emergency Consult
Nursemaid's Elbow
Basics
Description
Description
The most common elbow injury in children <5 yr old. Peak incidence is between 2–3 yr of age. It has been reported in children as old as 9 yr
Etiology
Etiology
- 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. Longitudinal traction while the elbow is pronated and extended can cause subluxation by swinging the child, wrestling, and lifting the child by the arms
- 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, 5th ed., Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, 2016. 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. Lippincott Williams & Wilkins; 2016. https://emergency.unboundmedicine.com/emergency/view/5-Minute_Emergency_Consult/307326/all/Nursemaid's_Elbow. Accessed April 18, 2024.
Nursemaid's Elbow. (2016). 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 (5th ed.). Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. 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, Wolfe RER, Barkin AZA, Shayne PP, Rosen PP, editors. 5-Minute Emergency Consult. Lippincott Williams & Wilkins; 2016. [cited 2024 April 18]. 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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T1 - Nursemaid's Elbow
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ED - Rosen,Peter,
ED - Schaider,Jeffrey J,
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ED - Hayden,Stephen R,
ED - Wolfe,Richard E,
BT - 5-Minute Emergency Consult
UR - https://emergency.unboundmedicine.com/emergency/view/5-Minute_Emergency_Consult/307326/all/Nursemaid's_Elbow
PB - Lippincott Williams & Wilkins
ET - 5
DB - Emergency Central
DP - Unbound Medicine
ER -
