Rehabilitation of children after elbow injuries.
OBJECTIVE
To review the efficiency of early physical therapy to achieve successful rehabilitation after elbow injuries in children.


METHODS
Tertiary medical institution, Department of Physical Therapy, University Clinical Center of Kosovo, rr. Spitalit pn. 10000 Prishtina, Kosovo.


METHODS
We retrospectively reviewed the patients with elbow injuries, (ICD, Rev. 10, Elbow Fractures code) merely as a consequence of trauma, who had undergone rehabilitation program from June 2000 December 2001.


RESULTS
In this study 140 cases with elbow injuries are analyzed. The majority of the injured are with fracture 132 cases (94.29%), whereas only 8 cases or 5.72% are with non displaced fracture or dislocation. Analysis based on the most frequent injury localization in the elbow region, among all fractures, supracondylar fracture is present with 78 cases or 56%. The majority of cases, 49 or 35% have had injuries caused by fall from height, up to 6 cases or 4.3% injured in MVA. Timely initiation of rehabilitation program is influential factor in successful rehabilitation, whereas correlation between time of initiation and rehabilitation success have demonstrated important statistical significance, very high correlation r = 0.75 p < 0.01.


CONCLUSIONS
The children that did not have continuous rehabilitation program, due to huge interruptions during rehabilitation, have not achieved excellent success in rehabilitation. Early start of rehabilitation, since the arm is immobilized, can cause complete regaining of elbow functions, therefore any delay in the beginning of rehabilitation will leave consequences, from the must minor ones up to disability.
Murtezani
Ardiana
A
Department of Physical Therapy, University Clinical Center of Kosovo. ardianaa@yahoo.com
Pustina
Agron
A
Bytyçi
Cen
C
Hundozi
Hajrie
H
D001134:Arm Injuries / Q000209:etiology / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D002648:Child; D004551:Elbow Joint / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D026741:Physical Therapy Modalities; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014947:Wounds and Injuries / Q000150:complications*; D000092464:Elbow Injuries