Pacific Rim Orthopedic Surgeons

Elbow

Elbow Injuries

Your elbow joint is a joint made up of three bones: your upper arm bone and the two bones in your forearm. Muscles, ligaments, and tendons hold the elbow joint together. It is a combination hinge and pivot joint. The hinge part of the joint lets the arm bend like the hinge of a door; the pivot part lets the lower arm twist and rotate. Several muscles, nerves, and tendons cross at the elbow.

The repetitive sudden movements done in competitive sports can stress the elbow and cause tears to tendons. Read below to discover the services we offer as well as the conditions we treat for the elbow!

A doctor examining their patient's elbow.

Elbow Services and Conditions

Elbow replacement surgery, alternatively known as elbow joint replacement surgery or elbow arthroplasty, helps to relieve chronic pain in the elbow and restore the range of motion by replacing the damaged joint with a prosthetic one.

Olecranon bursitis, also known as elbow bursitis, is a type of overuse injury where the fluid-filled sac that protects the elbow joint by providing a cushion for it becomes inflamed. At-home treatments for olecranon bursitis are usually sufficient, but more severe cases can require surgery.

Osteoarthritis is a type of arthritis that is related to age, commonly called the “wear and tear” form of arthritis. It is more common in patients over the age of fifty and develops due to the cartilage that cushions the bone, becoming softer and wearing away.

While the given name of the injury implies it occurs in golfers, it has other common names like baseball elbow and suitcase elbow, and it’s characterized by pain from the elbow to the wrist on the inside of the elbow.

When a motion becomes too repetitive, it can weaken the arm muscles and tear tendons, which will cause pain when straightening or bending the arms, lifting things, or grabbing items. This can sometimes be a sign of Tennis Elbow.

Ulnar nerve entrapment, also known as cubital tunnel syndrome, occurs when something places pressure on the ulnar nerve in the elbow or wrist. This condition is a type of nerve compression syndrome.