Expert treatment for problems and injuries of the elbow.
Whether it is general wear and tear, or an accident that results in an injury, each element of the musculoskeletal system can potentially become damaged, limiting its function and affecting our quality of life.
The elbow joint is no exception. Circle Health Group orthopaedic teams can help to resolve any issues affecting your elbow joint, including providing elbow surgery if or when this is required.
If you are in London and need elbow surgery, the specialist orthopaedic team at The London Independent Hospital can provide the highest levels of care and treatment that will help relieve your symptoms and restore your quality of life.
Like all other bones, the ends of each of the bones in the elbow are covered with cartilage that protects them and helps to absorb impacts across the joint.
The elbow also contains something called the synovial membrane, which covers all remaining surfaces inside the elbow joint and which makes a small amount of fluid to lubricate the cartilage and reduce friction when you use the joint. And of course, ligaments help to hold the joint together when it is in motion.
Nevertheless, there are some elbow conditions and injuries that are more common than others. Here are some of the most common elbow issues seen at The London Independent Hospital.
A dislocation occurs when one of the bones within the joint comes out of place, and this is usually the result of a blunt force trauma such as a fall. You don’t need to fall directly onto the elbow either. If you put your hand out to catch yourself, the force of the impact onto your hand could force either of the forearm bones out of place.
Any of the three bones in the elbow could suffer a fracture in an accident. However, unlike some other types of breaks, fractured elbow bones don’t necessarily prevent you from moving the joint afterwards. This can make elbow fractures tricky to detect.
Bursitis is a type of repetitive strain injury, although you can also develop the condition from an infection. In bursitis, the small fluid-filled sacs called bursae that are found in the elbow get swollen and cause you pain. Usually, medication and rest help to resolve bursitis, but in some cases, the bursa may need to be surgically removed.
You’ve probably heard of both of these types of repetitive strain injury, which refer to damage to the tendons around your elbow. The type of movement you make to cause them affects which name they are given, but you don’t have to play sport to experience either.
Tennis elbow refers to damage to the tendon on the outside of your elbow, while golfer’s elbow refers to the tendons on the inside.
This very common degenerative condition can affect any joints in the body, including the elbow. Osteoarthritis occurs when the cartilage protecting the bones within a joint starts to break down, making it less effective at reducing friction. As a result, the joint becomes stiffer and more painful to use.
Some patients also suffer from another type of arthritis called rheumatoid arthritis. This is where their immune system attacks their healthy cells, causing inflammation and pain.
These types of injuries are usually referred to as repetitive strain injuries — or RSIs for short. They take their name from the repetitive movements that the patients who suffer from them make, usually either at work or in their recreational activities.
Repetitive movements accelerate the wear and tear on the tendons and ligaments which support the inside and outside of the elbow joint, particularly if the movement is weight-bearing or involves exerting a force to counteract another force (like hitting a fast-moving ball).
Some of the most common sports that can cause elbow injuries include:
Some of the most common other activities that can lead to elbow injuries include:
If you regularly perform any of these activities, you could be increasing your risk of elbow injury in the future.
If you are experiencing any of these symptoms, you could have an issue with your elbow joint.
It is best to speak to your GP service or schedule an appointment with an orthopaedic consultant at The London Independent Hospital to find out the cause and which treatments could help.
Your London Independent Hospital orthopaedic surgery team will want to talk to you about your medical history and your lifestyle. This will help them not only diagnose your condition, but also understand why you may be suffering from a particular injury or condition in the first place. This information could be valuable in preventing further problems in the future and in deciding whether you need elbow surgery.
When you visit The London Independent Hospital, you will benefit from the knowledge, expertise and experience of a dedicated orthopaedic team throughout your care.
Our specialist team of elbow surgeons and experts have been treating elbow conditions for many years.
The exact guidance you may be given will depend on the type of surgery you are having and your personal circumstances.
However, some general advice to help you to prepare for your surgery may include:
You will be asked to attend a pre-operative appointment around a week before your surgery to ensure that you are physically and mentally ready for your surgery.
You’ll undergo a physical exam, and a member of your surgical team will speak to you about what to expect on the day of your surgery, and afterwards. They will be able to answer any questions that you have.
This is a minimally invasive technique that enables surgeons to avoid making a large incision in your arm.
Instead, several very small incisions are made, through which instruments will be inserted to perform your surgery. These will include a thin, flexible tube with a light and camera at the end which will feed back real-time images so that your surgical team can see what they are doing, as well as the surgical instruments themselves.
The arthroscopic technique has been proven to reduce risks during surgery, post-operative pain and scarring.
Some of the most common elbow surgery procedures include:
In cases where tennis elbow has not responded to other treatments, tennis elbow surgery can be done as a traditional open surgery or keyhole surgery.
This will depend on your surgeon’s recommendations and your preference.
During tennis elbow surgery, the orthopaedic surgeon removes the damaged part of the tendon and repairs the tendon and ligaments where necessary, They will also treat any other associated pathologies in the joint.
The risks of surgery are always assessed at the consultation stage, meaning that your London Independent Hospital orthopaedic surgeon will use their extensive training and experience to determine that the risks of the surgery are considerably outweighed by the benefits of undergoing elbow surgery.
If your elbow surgery has been performed, arthroscopically it will reduce the risk of complications and scarring and is proven to result in less post-operative pain.
However, although elbow surgery can be performed in this way, it can still take time to heal and recover fully from your procedure.
Most patients can expect to return to their usual daily activities within two to six weeks, and back to work within three to ten weeks depending on their job role. Nevertheless, it can take as long as a year to heal from some types of severe trauma to the elbow.
As with any recovery from surgery, it’s crucial that you follow the advice and guidance given to you by your care team, which will include vital information such as when to take pain medication and when to return to work. Following this advice will help ensure that you minimise your risk of complications and recover as quickly as possible.
When it comes to getting back to your chosen sport, exactly how long you’ll have to wait will weigh heavily on your recovery process and how good you are at following the instructions given to you by your orthopaedic surgeon.
It’s important that you don’t try to significantly increase your physical activity levels until you’ve been given the express permission of your elbow surgery care team. Doing so could cause new injuries that could set your recovery back further.
The minimally invasive techniques used to perform elbow surgery mean that patients can get back to their usual activities more quickly than they might expect.
Most patients find that they can start driving again after around four weeks, but this really depends on the type of elbow surgery you’ve had and how well your body recovers. If you’ve had a tendon or ligament repair, it could take up to eight weeks to heal properly.
It probably comes as no surprise that pain and discomfort rank as one of the biggest concerns of orthopaedic surgery patients. However, like most other orthopaedic procedures, the discomfort you are likely to experience following elbow surgery will be fairly minimal.
The effects of your general anaesthetic could last for up to 24 hours following your surgery, and you will be prescribed some initial pain medication to keep you comfortable. However, most patients quickly learn to cope by taking a combination of anti-inflammatory medications (which also help to tackle swelling and associated pain) and paracetamol-based products.
Prescription pain relief is rarely needed, but if you find that you are in considerable discomfort following your surgery and over-the-counter pain relief isn’t effective, speak to your London elbow surgery care team to see what help is available.
Physiotherapy focuses on restoring and improving the function of the musculoskeletal system by building and strengthening the muscles, increasing flexibility and range of motion and preventing future injury. It does so through a combination of physical exercises, nutrition, and lifestyle advice.
One of the biggest mistakes made by orthopaedic surgery patients is not completing their at-home physiotherapy exercises recommended by their therapist or cutting their physiotherapy treatment plan short because they ‘feel better’.
However, orthopaedic consultants recommend that all elbow surgery patients follow their treatment plan as directed to reduce their risk of complications and accelerate their recovery.
Got a question we haven’t answered? The specialist elbow surgery team at The London Independent Hospital will be happy to answer any questions that you have and explain what you can expect from your recovery in greater detail.
Fortunately, orthopaedic care including elbow surgery from the highly trained, skilled and experienced team at The London Independent Hospital can relieve your symptoms and restore your quality of life.
Contact us today to discuss your elbow pain and see how we can help — you can book an appointment online today or call us at 020 3918 7108.
The London Independent Hospital can be found at 1 Beaumont Square, Stepney Green, London, E1 4NL. It is accessible by bus, tube (Stepney Green) and a car park with 30 spaces.
We look forward to welcoming you to The London Independent Hospital.
