1. Community
  2. Bones, joints and muscles
  3. Elbow Problems

Greatly limited mobility in elbow joint

Posted , 2 users are following.

niklas77427
niklas77427

I'm a 38 year old male. When I was 17, I had a fracture on my left elbow from a fall. I had problems with the elbow in terms of mobility and pain for a couple of years, but from when I was about 20 until just recently it has been fine, apart from cracking noises now and then when I stretched it out. During these years I have been working out - push-ups, arm curls etc.

Last summer (2017) I started with pull-ups and chin-ups and in late August I started to notice pain in the elbow. One morning I woke up and could only bend my arm halfway to the shoulder. Attempting to move past it caused enormous pain. I'm normally quite agile and can reach my left shoulder with my left hand without difficulty. I rested from exercising but the problem only worsened with swollen bursa, a golf ball sized protrusion on the back of the elbow, as well as difficulties to extend my arm fully. The doctor I visited sent me home with a max dose of diclofenac for 2 week. After no improvement I visited a physiotherapist that forced my arm to bend (joint mobilization) and gave me stretching exercises that I should do each day for 2 weeks. The first few days flexibility improved gradually, but then the bursitis came back. I had an X-ray exam but the doctor said that it only showed my old trauma and nothing new.

Doctor noted: "Active ROM: slightly reduced extension and great reduction of flexion. Passive ROM: soft endfeel on both extension and flexion. Great tenderness by pressure flexion. Can push for further mobility than active, but with great pain in patient. Swollen olecranon."

Doctor sent me home with another 4 weeks of diclofenac and orders to not lift anything at all with the left arm. Haven't had bursitis for 2 months now, but flexibility still radically limited, especially when it comes to bending.

See X-rays here:

https://image.ibb.co/nxBuSH/armb_ge_frontal_sin_1.png

https://image.ibb.co/dBxq1c/armb_ge_insida_sin_1.png

https://image.ibb.co/fuLXEx/armb_ge_invriden_sin_1.png

https://image.ibb.co/iGjsEx/armb_ge_utvriden_sin_1.png

0 likes, 1 reply

1 Reply

  • tony3057
    tony3057 niklas77427

    Posted

    I’m no expert but the radial bone close to the head appears to have a  slight lump/thickness. Is that where the trauma was? 

    I have extreme wear to the radial head needing for either a total replacement or re capping the surface of heads. I had a spur which was taken away after a clean out operation. This causes Lisa king of my elbow which I still can’t extend fully. The crackling/grinding type feelings or noise are debris in the joint. 

Back to top

Report or request deletion

Thanks for your help!

We want the community to be a useful resource for our users but it is important to remember that the community are not moderated or reviewed by doctors and so you should not rely on opinions or advice given by other users in respect of any healthcare matters. Always speak to your doctor before acting and in cases of emergency seek appropriate medical assistance immediately. Use of the community is subject to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy and steps will be taken to remove posts identified as being in breach of those terms.