title: Brachial artery injury. A complication of posterior elbow dislocation.
abstract: A case is presented of a 32-year-old man who sustained a closed posterior dislocation of the left elbow. The dislocation was reduced immediately under intravenous sedation. When, after reduction, the pulse remained weak, angiography revealed a complete tear of the brachial artery. The artery was repaired with end-to-end anastomosis, resulting in a good radial pulse at the end of the procedure. Though dislocation of the elbow is a relatively common traumatic injury, associated brachial artery injury is rare. The authors note that the diagnosis of arterial trauma in such cases should rely heavily on angiography.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedic Surgery A, Chaim Sheba Medical Center, Tel Hashomer, Israel.
authors.forename: J L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Amsallem
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Blankstein
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bass
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Horoszowski
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001916:Brachial Artery / Q000293:injuries*; D006801:Humans; D004204:Joint Dislocations / Q000150:complications*; D008297:Male; D000092464:Elbow Injuries