The elbow positions the hand in a stable manner relative to the trunk while allowing
flexion and extension as well as forearm rotation at varying shoulder positions. Its
ability to perform this task without joint subluxation is accomplished through a combination
of bony congruency, ligamentous restraint, and dynamic stabilization. Elbow stability
is challenged repeatedly during everyday activities, particularly when the arm is
abducted. Traumatic injuries that lead to an elbow dislocation or the microtrauma
associated with pitching are frequent situations that destabilize the elbow. This
article reviews the soft tissue stabilizers that contribute to elbow kinematics and
stability.
Key words
To read this article in full you will need to make a payment
Purchase one-time access:
Academic & Personal: 24 hour online accessCorporate R&D Professionals: 24 hour online accessOne-time access price info
- For academic or personal research use, select 'Academic and Personal'
- For corporate R&D use, select 'Corporate R&D Professionals'
Subscribe:
Subscribe to Journal of Hand SurgeryAlready a print subscriber? Claim online access
Already an online subscriber? Sign in
Register: Create an account
Institutional Access: Sign in to ScienceDirect
References
- Elbow joint force predictions for some strenuous isometric actions.J Biomech. 1980; 13: 765-775
- Medial elbow problems in the overhead-throwing athlete.J Am Acad Orthop Surg. 2001; 9: 99-113
- Biomechanics of the elbow during baseball pitching.J Orthop Sports Phys Ther. 1993; 17: 274-278
- Articular and ligamentous contributions to the stability of the elbow joint.Am J Sports Med. 1983; 11: 315-319
- Valgus stability of the elbow a definition of primary and secondary constraints.Clin Orthop Relat Res. 1991; 265: 187-195
- Biomechanical evaluation of the medial collateral ligament of the elbow.J Bone Joint Surg Am. 1997; 79: 1223-1231
- The medial collateral ligament of the elbow joint: anatomy and kinematics.J Shoulder Elbow Surg. 1998; 7: 345-351
- The ulnar collateral ligament of the human elbow joint: anatomy, function and biomechanics.J Anat. 1991; 175: 203-212
- Functional anatomy of the ligaments of the elbow.Clin Orthop Relat Res. 1985; 201: 84-90
- Biomechanical study of ligaments around the elbow joint.Clin Orthop Relat Res. 1991; : 170-179
- Experimental elbow instability after transection of the medial collateral ligament.Clin Orthop Relat Res. 1987; 218: 186-190
- Kinematic comparisons of 1996 Olympic baseball pitches.J Sports Sci. 2001; 19: 665-676
- In-vitro quantification of medial collateral ligament tension in the elbow.J Appl Biomech. 2017; 33: 277-281
- Muscle contribution to elbow joint valgus stability.J Shoulder Elbow Surg. 2007; 16: 795-802
- Elbow ligament strain under valgus load: a biomechanical study.Orthopedics. 1999; 2: 607-612
- Graft tensioning during knee ligament reconstruction: principles and practice.J Am Acad Orthop Surg. 2012; 20: 633-645
- Box-loop ligament reconstruction of the elbow for medial and lateral instability.J Shoulder Elbow Surg. 2015; 24: 647-654
- Biomechanics of a less invasive procedure for reconstruction of the ulnar collateral ligament of the elbow.Am J Sports Med. 1998; 26: 620-624
- The effect of medial collateral ligament repair tension on elbow joint kinematics and stability.J Hand Surg Am. 2007; 32: 1210-1217
- A survey of the tension applied to a doubled hamstring tendon graft for reconstruction of the anterior cruciate ligament.Arthroscopy. 2002; 18: 983-988
- Biomechanical comparison of graft fixation at 30 and 90 of elbow flexion for ulnar collateral ligament reconstruction by the docking technique.J Shoulder Elbow Surg. 2015; 24: 265-272
- The effect of forearm rotation on laxity and stability of the elbow.Clin Biomech. 2001; 16: 401-407
- The functional anatomy of the elbow complex.J Orthop Sports Phys Ther. 1993; 17: 279-288
- Posterolateral rotatory instability of the elbow.J Bone Joint Surg Am. 1991; 73: 440-446
- Ligamentous stabilizers against posterolateral rotatory instability of the elbow.J Bone Joint Surg Am. 2001; 83: 1823-1828
- Kinematics of the lateral ligamentous constraints of the elbow joint.J Shoulder Elbow Surg. 1996; 5: 333-341
- Posterolateral elbow joint instability: the basic kinematics.J Shoulder Elbow Surg. 1998; 7: 19-29
- The in vivo isometric point of the lateral ligament of the elbow.J Bone Joint Surg Am. 2007; 89: 2011-2017
- Ligamentous reconstruction for posterolateral rotatory instability of the elbow.J Bone Joint Surg Am. 1992; 74: 1235-1241
Article info
Publication history
Published online: December 20, 2019
Accepted:
October 9,
2019
Received:
March 17,
2019
Footnotes
R.A.K. owns Arrch Orthopedics. No benefits in any form have been received or will be received by the other authors or their family members related directly or indirectly to the subject of this article.
Identification
Copyright
© 2019 by the American Society for Surgery of the Hand. All rights reserved.
ScienceDirect
Access this article on ScienceDirectLinked Article
- Journal CME QuestionsJournal of Hand SurgeryVol. 45Issue 2
