Traumatic elbow instability.

Trauma can render the elbow unstable via a combination of bone and ligament injuries. Some of these injuries feature subluxation rather than dislocation of the elbow. Effective treatment centers on restoring enough of the bony and ligamentous structures to keep the elbow in joint so that recovery can proceed as for a simple elbow dislocation. Recognition of distinct patterns of injury can help determine the structures injured and the best methods for repairing them.