Diagnosis and management of pediatric radial head subluxation

Radial head subluxation is commonly referred to as pulled elbow, so named because it graphically describes the mechanism and characteristics of the injury. There are also other names: pulling radial head subluxation, circumferential ligament subluxation of the superior ulnar radial joint, and nanny’s elbow. It is most common in children under 4 years of age, with peak incidence between 1 and 3 years of age, and is more common in boys, and is more common on the left side than on the right. Puller’s elbow is caused by sudden pulling of the wrist when the elbow is straightened and the forearm is rotated forward. It occurs when the child is about to fall and pulls the wrist or pulls the wrist with force for other reasons, or it can be caused after a fall, but it is rare. The clinical manifestation of the disease is that with the pulling action, the child immediately cries and refuses to use the affected limb to move and hold objects, and the puller will hear or feel the elbow “popping” when pulling. Older children will use the contralateral hand to hold the affected limb, and the affected forearm is often in the anterior position (palm facing backward or downward), with the elbow joint in semi-flexion, and there is tenderness in the anterior and lateral sides of the head of the radius, and there is no limitation of elbow flexion and extension, but it is obviously limited in the anterior position of the forearm (palm facing forward or upward). X-ray of the elbow is normal, with no displacement of the brachioradial joint, and the ulnar-radial joint is in the anterior forearm rotation position. The treatment of the disease is relatively simple. The first choice of manipulative reset, the conventional reset method: hold the forearm of the affected limb with one hand, so that the elbow joint flexion of 90 °, the other hand holding the lower end of the upper arm and elbow joint, prevention and treatment of shoulder joint rotation; with the thumb on the head of the radius, can be a slight pressure, and then quickly rotate the forearm to the posterior position of the rotation. If the reset is successful, you will hear or feel the elbow “popping”, the child’s pain disappeared, the affected limb can be free to move; young children may not be able to immediately resume elbow activities due to fear and other reasons, you can give the child toys and other objects to check the affected limb elevation, if the child can reach out on their own to the position of the ear or above can be proved to have been successfully reset. Sometimes children are asked to take radiographs, and the radiographer will often force the forearm into a fully rotated position to obtain a true orthostatic picture of the elbow, which may inadvertently reset the subluxed radial head. Children with a long history of dislocation may experience discomfort in the elbow for several hours or days after the reset. The limb may be suspended in a tricot for a few days after reset, and the child’s guardian should be informed of the dangers of pulling the wrist before the age of 5 years. In some children, the elbow may be repetitively or repeatedly pulled, and it is best to immobilize the elbow in a plaster cast for 2 to 3 weeks after repositioning. In a very small number of children older than 4 years of age, who are difficult to reset with closed manipulation, especially in recurrent cases, incisional reset may be considered.