The preferable treatment of the fractured elbow depends upon the type of injury and the fracture. Some injuries do not require surgical treatments, whereas others can only be treated with surgery.

Below are the possible treatments which are required for addressing the issue of elbow fracture:

• Doctor’s examination: This is the first and the foremost step every doctor does. He/she physically check the elbow fracture in the physical examination by looking at the swelling, bump and tenderness. In case the issue is not diagnosed with the help of an initial examination, he/she tends to recommend getting an x-ray done.
• X-rays: With the help of an x-ray, the physician tends to study the extent and the intensity of the injury and fracture of the elbow. It also helps in finding out any probable displacement within the bones, or sometimes the ends of the elbows are angulated concerning one another.  In case of injury to any child, the x-rays of both elbows will be required so the injured one could be compared with non-injured. It is because the bones of the children are not fully developed and thus needs to be compared with each other.

Getting the Right Treatments:

There are two approved and known methods for the treatment of the fractured elbow, including surgical and non-surgical methods. Both methods, however, comes with yet other procedures.

Non-Surgical Methods:

Some methods in Singapore can be adopted for non-surgical treatments, as described below:

Casts:

For better healing of the bone pieces without letting them go around, the method of casting is done. It means immobilizing the bones, so it doesn’t move unnecessary and could be healed on its own without causing further damage to the elbow.

Splints:

The process is not as efficient in providing the required support to the elbow bones as compared with the casting method. Still, it is used for reducing the swelling which could appear otherwise. It means the method is well suited for adjustment to reduce the overall swelling of the bones. Also, splinting is used before casting so before the procedure, the swelling could greatly be reduced.

The Closed Reduction:

The process is done before both splints and casting. For ensuring proper healing, the closed reduction is done to reposition the bones together. Sometimes anaesthesia is given to the patient for making movements of the bones.

Surgical Methods:

When the injury has completely displaced the bone, then the only available treatment is via surgery. One method is via percutaneous pinning and the closed reduction method. The doctor examines and moves the bones back to their original position. With the help of metal pins, the bones are realigned to the original position, by reducing the bridge between the bone fragments.

Yet another procedure involves open reduction with the help of internal fixation. This method is good for open fractures. With the help of the open reduction method, the bone fragments are placed back to their actual position. The method is preferred when the nerve is damaged or the injury is vascular.

Elbow fracture is very common and can happen to anyone at any point in time. However, the treatment depends upon your physician examination, diagnosis and intensity of the injury. So listen to your doctor and decide accordingly.