Nursemaid’s Elbow (Elbow Subluxation)

Abstract

Elbow subluxation is one of the most common pediatric joint injuries in children aged 6 months to 5 years. Pulling the arm of a child too strongly can make the ligament in the elbow slip. Ligaments are like elastic bands that hold the bones together. In children, these bands are fairly loose and can easily glide off the bone. With age, the ligaments strengthen and children are no longer at risk of this particular injury. The medical term for this is annular ligament displacement, referring to the elastic band that holds the 2 forearm bones (the radius and the ulna) together at the elbow. When a child's arm is pulled suddenly, the annular ligament slips over the radius and gets trapped between the bone and the joint. It is important to understand that neither the ligament nor the bone are actually broken; they simply have slipped out of their proper joint position. Elbow subluxation is also called pulled or slipped elbow and was called "nursemaid's elbow" when a child's nanny was inadvertently blamed for causing the injury. Here, Baiu and Melendez discuss how to treat and prevent elbow subluxation.