Elbow floating in children: About three cases and literature review

Abstract

Purpose: The aim of this study was to determine the epidemiological, lesion, treatment and outcome of the 'floating elbow' in children. Observations: It was two boys and a girl with a mean age of 7 years. The average consultation time was 3.6 h. In two patients, the trauma had occurred during playful accident with fall from a height. Supracondylar fracture was associated with a fracture epiphyseal separation-type II distal end of the right radius in one case, a fracture of the distal quarter of the bones 2 of the forearm in the second patient and fracture quarter distal radius in the third patient. All fractures of the elbow were treated by osteosynthesis as well as a fracture of the distal radius ¼. The average hospital stay was 5 days. After a mean of 8 months was rated limitation of elbow flexion to 100° in a patient, an externalisation of the pins at the elbow in M3 in one patient and a limitation of elbow extension at 30° in 2 patients. One patient had a varus ulna. The pronosupination was preserved in all patients. Conclusion: The 'floating elbow' is unusual in children and usually occurs during a high-energy trauma. His treatment is not yet the subject of consensus. Complications often involve the elbow.

Keywords

• 'floating elbow' child
• functional limitation
• surgery