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Nursemaid’s elbow is when the elbow ligament is displaced and is caught between the 2 bones of the joint. The reason behind this is that the kid’s ligament at this age is still loose. A small amount of force can lead to this displacement, like pulling up the kid by his hand. The signs are that the child won’t use the injured arm because it hurts him when moving. He will keep his arm at the same position (straight or a slight bend) to avoid pain. No deformity nor swelling will occur, nothing will be shown externally.
If the doctor didn’t see signs of fracture, he will do the reduction (putting the ligament back to its original place) and this procedure will take seconds.
This injury is recurrent so it is important to prevent it until the age of 6 to 7 years this is when the ligament will be hard enough. So it is important to be careful and don’t pull or swing your kids by the arms or hands and make sure that all caregivers are doing the same at home or at the nursery.
Dr. Lama Abiad
Pediatrician
