NursemaidElbowMedicallyreviewedbyKarenGill,M.D.—WrittenbyMariahAdcox—UpdatedonSeptember17,2018SymptomsCausesDiagnosisTreatmentOutlookWhatisnursemaidelbow?Nursemaidelbowisacommonelbowinjury,especiallyamongyoungchildrenandtoddlers.Itoccurswhenachild’selbowispulledandoneofthebonespartiallydislocates,givingitanothername,“pulledelbow.”Yourdoctormayrefertoitasaradialheadsubluxation.Thisinjurywasnamedduringatimewhennursemaids(ornannies)commonlycaredforchildrenandhadthereputationofcausingthisinjurybypullingonachild’soutstretchedarm.Thebonesandligamentsofayoungchildareoftensoftandstilldeveloping.Thismakesiteasytosustaininjuriesofthistype.Typically,nursemaidelbowisfoundinchildrenbetweentheagesof1to4,butcanbefoundinslightlyolderchildrenaswell.Becauseligamentswilltightenasachildgetsolder,mostwon’tgetnursemaidelbowaftertheyturn5yearsold.ShareonPinterestWhatarethesymptomsofnursemaidelbow?Themostcommonsymptomofnursemaidelbowispain.Usuallyachildwillholdtheinjuredarmtotheirsidewithoutmovingitinordertopreventfurtherpain.Youmightseethechildholdingtheirarmwithaslightbendorstraightattheirside.Nursemaidelbowcanbedifficulttodiagnosebecauseitdoesn’tcauseswellingordisfigurement.Whatcausesachildtodevelopnursemaidelbow?Nursemaidelbowcanoccurwhenforceisexertedonthechild’sarmwhenit’soutstretched,pullingattheelbowjoint.Thiscanhappenanumberofways,mostcommonlywhenpullingachildupbythehands.Itcanalsohappenwhenswingingachildbythehands,orjerkingachild’sarm.Lesscommonly,achildmightrollovertheirarminacriborbedandcausethisinjury.Nursemaidelbowisrarelytheresultofafall.Afallismorelikelytocauseafractureorbreak.Howisthisconditiondiagnosed?Ifyourchildisholdingtheirarminanawkwardwayoriscomplainingofpain,makeanappointmentwiththeirpediatrician.Theirdoctorwilltypicallymakeaphysicalassessmentoftheinjuredarm,diagnosingnursemaidelbowbasedonthewaytheelbowwasinjuredandhowthechildisholdingtheirarm.AnX-rayisn’trequired,butmaybedoneinordertoruleoutfracturesandbrokenbones.Howisnursemaidelbowtreated?Yourchild’sdoctorwilltr