Open elbow dislocation associated with distal ischemia in children about one case and review of the literature

Abstract

Elbow's dislocations of the child are rare injuries. Its associated injuries such as the opening and the distal ischemia are an extreme therapeutic emergency. One case of open elbow dislocation with distal ischemia in a 10-year-old child is reported. In the clinical examination, there is a deformity of the elbow, a wound showing the cartilaginous distal humerus with the brachial artery under tension on the trochlea that creates a beginning distal ischemia and hypoesthesia in the territory of the median nerve. The surgical health care included a careful debridement, a reduction and scanning of the neurovascular bundle of humerus with reappearance of pulses after 45 minutes. After the last follow-up at three months, the child's examination does not show any neurovascular disorder with a steady elbow. The functional prognosis depends mainly on the reduction time, the importance of neurovascular injuries and the skin opening.

Keywords

• children
• ischimia
• elbow dislocation
• open
• treatment