Elbow Examination

Atttitude of the joint


Look - Around Joint and extremity for the skin , any muscles wasting on arm , forearm and hand


Feel - Soft tissue , any bony tenderness on medial condyle , tinel's sign on ulnar nerve , nerve palpation , Olecranon process , lateral condyle , pulsation of brachial artery

Feel axillary lymy nodes

Done all if history suggestive of Insatbility or old lateral condyle fracture otherwise a quick valgus / varus stress test done

Joint Stability test - Valgus stress test


Varus stress test -  with shoulder on internal rotaion

                               force varus done similar to valgus stress ,

                               avoid rotating limb when performing test





PLRI (Pivot shift test )

Lateral Ulnar collateral ligament insufficiency

manifestation - episodes of subluxation or dislocation

Position - UL -  Patient lies supine , shoulder flexed sothat limb lies above patient's head

                          examiner grasps  patient's forearm and ERof shoulder  done sothat forearm pronates

                          and elbow  extended.

Then Give Valgus and axial compression forces to elbow and a supination torque to forearm ,


It leads to Rotatory subluxation of Ulnohumeral joint with a coupled posterolateral dislocation of

radial head from humerus.

       
Movement

Flexion , extension passive and active

Measure Cubitus angle


Distal

All 3 nerves

Radial and Ulnar artery