Finding the Right Elbow Surgeon

From one joint to the next, the body is an intricately functioning combination of moving parts. When you think about joints like our elbows and knees, they not only allow the limbs to move and bend, they also help distribute and carry weight. When the elbow, in particular, is injured or damaged, there can be a lot of pain and discomfort with just about every arm movement. An orthopedic surgeon can examine and diagnose an injured elbow to determine what type of treatment to proceed with, from physical therapy to surgery.

If any part of these upper extremities become injured or compromised in any way, it can affect joint health and functionality – from the fingertips to the shoulder blades. Therefore, if you are among the millions of people in the United States with hand and upper extremity problems due to injuries from sports or work, or conditions such as arthritis and carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS), it is important to find the right expert care to help return you to optimal health.

Elbow pain occurs for many reasons. Due to the elbow’s wide range of motion and stress placed on the joint, pain and injury are common in these areas. Not so surprising when you consider how you rely on your arms for so many common tasks throughout the day. There are a number of causes for elbow pain including osteoarthritis, trauma, injury, sprains, strains, sports injuries, and fractures, all of which can lead to pain, stiffness, and lack of mobility.

To find the right elbow surgeon, research is of the upmost importance. Your elbow surgeon should be a board-certified orthopedic surgeon. Of course, you want an experienced doctor taking care of your needs, so knowing that they are certified and up to date on any new research and treatments will help make the decision easier.

The field of elbow surgery involves non-surgical and surgical treatment of elbow conditions and injuries. Orthopedic surgeons specializing in diagnosing and treating problems affecting the elbow joint, are either fellowship trained hand and wrist surgeons, or fellowship trained shoulder surgeons.

Just like hand and wrist surgery, elbow surgery involves an interdisciplinary approach to elbow care. Successful treatment depends on the elbow surgeon’s technical skill and knowledge of treatment and management of underlying medical issues which may be the cause for a particular elbow condition.

Some of the most common conditions that could require elbow surgery include:

• Golfer’s Elbow (medial epicondylitis)
• Tennis Elbow (lateral epicondylitis)
• Bursitis
• Elbow Osteoarthritis
• Cupital Tunnel Syndrome
• Elbow Dislocation
• Olecranon Bursitis

For example, if a doctor has a patient with severe elbow osteoarthritis, they can treat it with a total elbow joint replacement. In addition to performing the total elbow joint replacement, the success of treatment is a direct result of patient compliance and physical therapy.

At Advanced Bone & Joint in St. Peters and O’Fallon, MO, our skilled and board-certified/fellowship-trained orthopedic surgeons have expertise in elbow and upper extremity problems and employ the latest in surgical and non-surgical techniques to treat them.

To learn more about finding the right elbow surgeon for you, call Advanced Bone & Joint at (636) 229-4222 or you can request an appointment online.