Elbow
Education
Elbow Anatomy
The elbow allows your arm to bend, extend, and rotate. The elbow joint is described as a hinge joint and is made up of three bones: the humerus (upper arm bone), the radius, and the ulna (forearm bones). The bones of the elbow joint are covered in cartilage at the ends of the bone and this type of cartilage is called articular cartilage. This allows the bones to glide easily as the joint is moved. When cartilage is injured, it can lead to arthritis if the damage continues or is severe enough.
The elbow joint is not inherently stable and relies on ligaments on each side of the elbow for stability. There are two important ligaments that stabilize the elbow:
RCL: The radial collateral ligament is located on the outside of the elbow and connects the humerus bone to the radius bone. This ligament can be injured during elbow dislocations.
UCL: The ulnar collateral ligament is located on the inside of the elbow and connects the humerus bone to the ulna bone. This ligament can be injured in baseball pitchers or other overhead athletes.
There are several muscles that cross the elbow and allow it to move. Two commonly injured muscles around the elbow are the biceps tendon (located in the front of the elbow) and the triceps tendon (located at the back of the elbow). The elbow is also the attachment site for the muscles that move your wrist up and down. These muscle groups attach to the bones of the inside or outside of the elbow (depending on their specific jobs) and can become inflamed with repetitive use. These two conditions are called golfer’s elbow (or medial epicondylitis) and tennis elbow (lateral epicondylitis).
Many important nerves and blood vessels that supply the forearm and hand cross the elbow. These nerves control the muscles that power your forearm and hand and also provide sensation to the skin below the elbow. Injury to these nerves can cause numbness, tingling sensations, or inability to move your fingers, hand, or wrist. The median nerve crosses the front of the elbow, the radial nerve crosses along the outside of the elbow, and the ulnar nerve crosses along the inside of the elbow.
Disclaimer: The information presented on this page has been prepared by Dr. Kew and should not be taken as direct medical advice, merely education material to enhance a patient’s understanding of specific medical conditions. Each patient’s diagnosis is unique to the patient and requires a detailed examination and a discussion with Dr. Kew about potential treatment options. If you have specific questions about symptoms you are having and would like to discuss with Dr. Kew, please click below to contact our office to schedule a visit. We hope the information above allows our patients to more thoroughly understand their diagnosis and expands the lines of communication between Dr. Kew and her patients.