Nursemaid elbow has many names: pulled elbow, radial-head subluxation, annular ligament displacement. Basically, it is when the elbow is ...:SkiptomaincontentYouarehereHomeNursemaidElbow101:Causes,SymptomsandTreatmentYouarehereHomeNursemaidElbow101:Causes,SymptomsandTreatmentNursemaidElbow101:Causes,SymptomsandTreatmentPublishedon August13,2018Categories: RehabTherapiesandAudiologyNursemaidelbowhasmanynames:pulledelbow,radial-headsubluxation,annularligamentdisplacement.Basically,itiswhentheelbowispulledintomalalignmentorpartiallydislocated.  Whateveryoudecidetocallit,itisprettyscarythefirsttimeithappenstoyourkid.Ifyouaren’ttheretowitnessthetrauma,youmayjustseeyourchildwithholdingfromusingtheaffectedlimblikeitisparalyzed.Yourchildmaynotevenseemtobeinpain,butmaycryatyourattemptstotouchormovethearm.Isitbroken?Allthe“what-ifs”orthespeculationonwhatcouldhavepossiblyhappenedrunsthroughyourhead,alongwiththeimmediateguiltyoufeelifithappenswhenyoupickedupyourlittleoneoryouwereholdinghands.ButIcanassureyou—it’snotyourfault.Themedianagefortheoccurrenceofnursemaidelbowisabout2½yearsold.Ithappenstogirlsmorethanboysandtheleftarmmorethantheright,andismorecommoninkidsinaboutthe75thpercentileinweight.However,itcanstillstrikeanychild.Ithappenedtomyson’sleftandrightarmsandhefallssteadilyinthe50thpercentile.Soalthoughhedoesn’texactlyfittheprofile,hehasamommywhohasligamentlaxity.Poorguyisgeneticallypredisposed.Thefirsttimeithappenedtomyson,hewasabout18months,andthelasttimeithappenedwasjustlastmonth(he’s3now).Itcanhappensimplybecauseyou’reholdingyourchild’sarmwhenheorshetrips,andyoureflexivelyholdontightertostopthefall.Itcanhappenduringrough-and-tumbleplay.Forthoseloosey-gooseykiddoslikemyson,itevenhappenedwhenhewasshakingachain-linkfence.DoyouseewhatI’mgettingat?Ithappens,soskiptheguilt;it’snotyourfault.Toddlersaremorepronebecause,well,weholdtheirhandtokeepthemsafe…buttheyfallorimpulsivelychangedirectionswithoutnotice.Inaddition,toddlers’anatomydiffers.Theradialheadissmallerandtheannula