Persistent and Recurrent Elbow Instability

Acute elbow dislocation is a common injury with an incidence in the general population. Chronic persistent (static) elbow dislocation or recurrent elbow instability is a relatively rare problem but might occur due to inappropriate assessment or treatment of acute simple or complex elbow dislocations. Treatment of chronic persistent elbow dislocation and recurrent instability is challenging. Understanding the biomechanics and the mechanism of injury during acute simple and complex elbow dislocations and recurrent instability is important for interpreting the clinical and radiological findings as well as choosing the correct treatment and rehabilitation for patients with persistent or recurrent instability of the elbow.