Elbow instability

Sometimes you hear a click. Sometimes the arm locks for a moment. More and more often, you instinctively spare it because you have stopped trusting it. This is not ‘overexertion’ or ‘something that will go away on its own.’ These may be symptoms of elbow joint instability.

What is actually happening?

In a healthy elbow, the bones move smoothly and securely because ligaments hold them in place. When these ligaments are damaged, the joint loses stability. The bones begin shifting uncontrollably during movement, and you feel that the elbow is ‘floating’ and unstable.

It most often starts with a specific event: a fall onto an outstretched hand, a dislocation, or a fracture near the elbow. After such an injury, the ligaments do not always heal properly and the problem remains even if the pain itself has gone away.

How can you recognize it?

• you feel that the elbow ‘gives way’ when supporting yourself, lifting, or straightening it,
• clicking, snapping, or brief locking of the joint occurs,
• pain with specific movements, for example when pushing yourself up with your hands, rising from a chair, or lifting a full shopping bag,
• you do not trust this arm and instinctively spare it.

Why you should not wait

Each time you feel the elbow ‘give way’ or snap, the bones shift and rub in a way they should not. This friction slowly damages the cartilage on the bone, which is essential for a normal, painless joint and allows it to move smoothly. Once the cartilage wears away, degenerative changes develop, and these cannot be reversed.

The longer you wait, the greater the problem becomes. At first, only the damaged ligaments need to be repaired. Later, difficult treatment of the cartilage and joint surfaces is added, requiring a much more serious procedure. An elbow treated early returns to full function much more often than one that has remained unstable for years.

How we help

We begin with a consultation and imaging studies. An X-ray shows whether the injury caused a fracture or avulsion of a bone fragment together with the ligament. We assess the ligaments themselves— which are damaged, to what extent, and how severe the instability is—using ultrasound during movement while gently loading the joint. We use this information to plan the procedure.

When the ligaments are damaged, we repair or reconstruct them: using a graft, we recreate the structure that takes over the role of the destroyed ligament, restoring secure joint guidance and stopping further cartilage damage.

There is one goal: an elbow you can trust again.

Book a consultation

If you recognize these symptoms in yourself, do not wait until your elbow fails at the worst possible moment. Make an appointment for a consultation. We will determine exactly what is happening and tell you which procedure will solve your problem.