title: Pediatric open elbow dislocation without fracture: A case report.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Elbow dislocations in children are rare injuries. These injuries are often in the form of complex injuries that is accompanied by the median nerve damage and medial epicondyle fracture in the pediatric age group. Open elbow dislocation without fracture in the pediatric age group has been reported very rarely in the literature.
  
  
  METHODS
  The purpose of this study is to present an 8-year-old patient who has open elbow dislocation without fracture accompanying with brachial artery injury. In the clinical examination of the patient, there was an open wound in the transverse antecubital region. After repair of brachial artery injury, open reduction was performed under general anesthesia. In the postoperative clinical examination at 6 months, left elbow flexion was 140°, extension was full and there were no deficit in the supination and pronation of the forearm.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Elbow dislocation without fracture in pediatric patients is a very rare injury. Usually the trauma mechanism of elbow dislocation is falling on outstretched hand with elbow in approximately 30° of flexion. However our patient had fallen on outstretched hand with elbow in full extension. Although this type of trauma mechanism is typical for supracondylar humerus fractures in pediatric age group, in our patient an open posterior elbow dislocation without fracture had occurred.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Pediatric elbow dislocations are rare injuries and the management of these injuries can be technically demanding due to concurrent neurovascular injuries. An open dislocation without fracture is very rare and it should be treated with immediate intervention, an effective teamwork and good rehabilitation.
authors.affiliation: Istanbul University, Medical Faculty of Istanbul, Department of Orthopedics and Traumatology, Çapa Fatih, 34050 İstanbul, Turkey.
authors.forename: Gökhan
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Polat
authors.affiliation: Istanbul University, Medical Faculty of Istanbul, Department of Orthopedics and Traumatology, Çapa Fatih, 34050 İstanbul, Turkey. Electronic address: dr@gokhankarademir.com.
authors.forename: Gökhan
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Karademir
authors.affiliation: Istanbul University, Medical Faculty of Istanbul, Department of Orthopedics and Traumatology, Çapa Fatih, 34050 İstanbul, Turkey.
authors.forename: Turgut
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Akgül
authors.affiliation: Sultanciftligi LNB State Hospital, Department of Orthopedics and Traumatology, Sultanciftligi, 34265 İstanbul, Turkey.
authors.forename: Hasan Hüseyin
authors.initials: HH
authors.lastname: Ceylan
keywords: Children; Dislocation; Elbow; Fracture; Open; Pediatric