JumptocontentALERT:Updatedvisitorpolicyinplace7a.m.Wednesday,May26.Learnmore.OtherUMHSSitesYouarehereHome»RadialHeadSubluxationTopofthepageRadialHeadSubluxationTopicOverviewWhatisradialheadsubluxation?Radialheadsubluxationmeansthattheradius,oneoftwolongbonesinthelowerarm(forearm),haspulledawayfromitsnormalposition.Theligamentthatsupportstheradialbonethenslipsintotheelbowjoint.Whenthishappens,theradialbonecan'tmovebackintoitsnormalplace.Theradiusconnectstotheelbowjointatoneend;theotherendconnectsintothewristjoint.Whatcausesaradialheadsubluxation?Radialheadsubluxationusuallyoccursinyoungchildren.Ithappenswhenayoungchildispulledorliftedbythehandorwristwhilehisorherarmisheldstraight.Forexample,thebonecanpulloutofposition,orsublux,whenyoutrytoliftachildupontoasidewalkbythehand,pullaresistantchild'shandtogethimorhertomovefaster,orholdontoachild'shandsandswinghimorheraroundwhileplaying.Radialheadsubluxationmostoftenoccursinyoungchildrenbecausethesocketoftheelbowjointandthesupportingligamentsarenotfullydeveloped.Thisinjuryisespeciallycommoninchildrenbetweenages2and3years,althoughitcanhappenanytimebetween6monthsofageand7years.Afterage3,children'sjointsandligamentsgraduallygrowstronger,makingradialheadsubluxationlesslikelytooccur.Thisinjuryissometimescalled"nursemaid'selbow."Althoughphysicalabuseissometimesthecauseofthisinjury,mostoftenaparent,caregiver,orsiblingissimplyplayingoristryingtohelporhurryachildalong.Butiftheinjuryrecursoften,abusemaybesuspected.Whatarethesymptoms?Symptomsofradialheadsubluxationinclude:Refusaltomovethearm.Yourchildmaykeepthearmdanglingdownthesideofhisorherbody.Sometimesthedanglingarmturnsslightlyinward(pronates).Crying.Yourchildmaycryfromthepainandbecauseheorshefeelsscared.Painanywherebetweenthehandandshoulder.Medicalattentionisneededifyourchildhassymptomsofradialheadsubluxation.Howisaradialheadsubluxationusuallydiagnosed?Yourdoctorusuallysuspectstheinjuryfromyourreportofhowithappened,yourchild'ssymptoms,andresultsofthephysicalexam.Thedoctorwillfee