HealthInfo Waitaha Canterbury
Broken elbow (olecranon fracture)
Tuke tāwhatiwhati
Your elbow is the moveable joint between your upper arm bone (humerus) and your forearm bones (radius and ulna). It works like a hinge. The hard point or tip of your elbow is called the olecranon (o-lek-ra-non).
A fracture (or break) of the olecranon usually happens when you fall onto a hard surface and directly hit the point of your elbow. It can also be caused by:
- receiving a direct blow to your elbow from something hard like a cricket bat or a dashboard or car door during a car crash
- falling on an outstretched arm while holding your elbow rigid to brace against the fall. In this situation, your triceps muscle, which attaches to your olecranon, can pull a piece of the bone off your ulna. If this happens, it's quite common to damage the ligaments around your elbow as well.
Symptoms of a broken elbow
If you've broken your olecranon, the tip of your elbow will be painful and swollen. It may be hard to bend and straighten your elbow. Your elbow may seem to be deformed because it's swollen or a bone is out of place.
You may feel pain just where it's broken or whenever you move your arm. It's possible your fingers may tingle, your fingertips may be numb or your elbow might feel unstable as if your elbow is going to pop out. Make sure you remove any rings from your fingers before they start to swell.
Diagnosing a broken elbow
If you think you may have broken a bone in your elbow, it's important to see a doctor. They will ask about how your injury happened, look at your elbow and take X-rays to find out which bone is broken and what kind of break it is. They may also X-ray above and below where you're sore to check if you have any other nearby injuries. You may need a CT scan, which can show a complex break more clearly or an MRI to show any soft tissue injury.
Self-care for a broken elbow
There are several things you can do to help your olecranon heal, whether or not you're having surgery.
- If you smoke, stop smoking. Continuing to smoke will slow down how quickly you heal.
- Do not do any heavy lifting or gripping with the affected hand as this will increase your pain and slow your recovery. You'll probably need some time off work to let your elbow recover.
- Take regular pain relief as recommended by your health professional. Seek advice from your general practice team if you still have pain while taking the recommended pain relief. Do not take extra pain relief that has not been prescribed for you.
- The more swollen your elbow is, the more painful it will be. To reduce the swelling, keep it raised (elevated) above the level of your heart whenever possible. Also apply ice (wrapped in a towel or plastic bag) to your hand or arm above the cast. Do not put ice directly on your skin as this can burn it.
- Look after your cast and take care not to get it wet.
On the next page: Treating a broken elbow
Written by HealthInfo clinical advisers. Last reviewed July 2022.
Sources
Review key: HISHI-13267
