The limitations, pain, and restricted range of motion associated with elbow contractures can significantly impact the overall quality of life. An elbow injury can lead to frustration, loss of independence, and reduced participation in once-enjoyable activities for your patients.

Physical limitations can also affect social interactions, emotional well-being, and psychological health, potentially leading to feelings of isolation and decreased overall satisfaction.

Addressing elbow contractures through appropriate treatment, such as physical therapy or surgical intervention, can help alleviate these troublesome symptoms and improve function and quality of life for individuals affected by this condition. But sometimes, these means of treatment bring on problems of their own.

While the appropriate treatment for elbow contractures can vary depending on factors such as the cause, severity, and individual patient considerations, in many cases, a non-invasive treatment approach that involves an elbow orthosis can be a practical course of action for your patient.

Benefits of Elbow Orthosis

An elbow orthosis can provide several benefits to patients with elbow contracture. Some of the patient advantages of using an elbow orthosis to treat elbow contracture include:

Range of Motion Improvement: An elbow orthosis can help gradually restore and increase the range of motion. This reduces stiffness, allowing the patient to regain functional movements.

Joint Protection and Stability: An elbow orthosis offers stability and support to the affected elbow joint. It helps maintain proper alignment and prevents further deformity or damage.

Pain Reduction: The orthosis helps offload the joint, redistribute forces, and reduce excessive stress on the affected structures. This can alleviate pain and provide relief.

Improved Functional Abilities: An orthosis can enhance a patient’s ability to perform various daily tasks and functional activities by addressing elbow contracture.

Facilitates Rehabilitation: An elbow orthosis can help maintain gains achieved during therapy sessions, prevent contracture recurrence, and support rehabilitation.

Customization and Adjustability: Elbow orthoses can be customized to fit patient needs. They can be adjusted to accommodate changes in the range of motion as therapy progresses.

Psychological Support: Wearing an orthosis that aids in recovery and functional improvement can provide psychological support, boost confidence, and help the patient’s mental well-being.

Considerations When Selecting the Elbow Orthosis

When recommending an elbow orthosis (brace) for a patient, you should consider several factors to ensure the most appropriate treatment and optimal outcomes. Here are some key considerations:

Medical Condition: Determine your patient’s underlying medical condition or injury affecting the elbow. Common conditions requiring an elbow orthosis include fractures, dislocations, tendonitis, arthritis, ligament sprains, or postoperative recovery.

Diagnosis and Severity: Evaluate the specific diagnosis and severity of the condition to understand the extent of impairment and the type of support required. This information helps you in selecting the appropriate orthosis and treatment plan.

Functional Goals: Assess your patient’s functional goals, such as pain reduction, increased joint stability, protection during activities, or support for rehabilitation. Understanding your patient’s desired outcomes will guide the choice of orthosis design and features.

Range of Motion (ROM) Requirements: Consider the necessary range of motion for your patient’s daily activities, occupation, or sports involvement. Some conditions may benefit from restricting specific movements, while others require partial or complete range of motion support.

Your Patient’s Age and Lifestyle: Consider your patient’s age, lifestyle, and occupation. Factors like activity level, work demands, and personal preferences can influence the choice of orthosis. For example, a lightweight and low-profile brace may be preferable for a physically active patient.

Patient Compliance: Some patients comply with medical advice well; others don’t. Consider your patient’s ability and willingness to comply with orthosis wear and maintenance instructions. If the patient is unlikely to consistently wear the brace or follow the recommended guidelines, alternative treatment options should be explored.

Orthosis Design and Fit: Evaluate the different orthotic designs available for elbow support, such as sleeves, straps, hinged braces, or custom-made options. An orthotist can help you choose a design that aligns with your patient’s condition, desired features, and comfort. Also, consider proper fit, adjustability, and ease of application.

Material Selection: Select appropriate materials based on your patient’s needs. Materials can vary from rigid plastics or metal for maximum support to flexible neoprene or fabric for comfort and breathability.

Adverse Reactions and Allergies: Ask your patient about known allergies or adverse reactions to materials commonly used in orthoses, such as latex or certain adhesives. Choosing materials that are hypoallergenic and well-tolerated by your patient is essential.

Collaboration with Orthotist: Collaborate with an orthotist or other specialized healthcare professionals who can provide expertise in orthosis selection, fitting, and customization. We work with physicians to help ensure the most suitable orthosis for their patient’s needs.

Follow-up and Monitoring: Establish a plan for follow-up visits to assess your patient’s progress, monitor orthosis effectiveness, and make any necessary adjustments. Regular communication and evaluation help ensure that the orthosis provides the desired benefits.

Anatomical Concepts Elbow Orthosis Offerings

There are many choices when selecting the most appropriate elbow orthosis for your patient. Each patient’s case is unique, and we work closely with physicians and therapists to help them consider the factors above in the context of their patient’s condition, goals, and lifestyle so they can recommend the most appropriate elbow orthosis for optimal patient outcomes.

Here is a summary of the elbow orthosis options we offer:

EMO™ Elbow Orthosis

The EMO™ Elbow Orthosis offers a unique, simple design with its dorsal fitting single-jointed frame creating a more low-profile, non-bulky option for optimal support and increased compliance for your patients.

The quality and functionality of the design include a wrap-around liner closure with open cell material, static-progressive ROM positioning for 0⁰ to 110⁰, adjustable fulcrum point elbow pad, and system that allows for total length adjustments between 10.25” to 12.25”.

The EMO™ is a more cost-effective alternative to custom or the more common multi-jointed options on the market.

Benefits

• Low profile for appearance
• Simple, fast-fit designs
• New wrap-around closure with open cell material
• Infinite static-progressive ROM from 0 degrees to 110 degrees
• No medial upright impingement
• Decreased fitting time
• Single dorsal upright
• Static progressive stretching
• More cost-effective when compared to custom options

General Uses:

• Acute and Sub Acute
• Home Health Rehab
• Neuromuscular Rehab
• Orthopedic Rehab
• Caregiver Assistance

Specific Uses:

• Musculoskeletal injury immobilization
• Elbow Flexion
• Contracture Management
• CVA, TBI, SCI, CP, and MS Radial head injury

QUAD™ Elbow Orthosis

The Ratchet and Variable ROM Joint System (QUAD™) has a low-profile design that enables a simple, fast fit. The new wrap-around closure and single dorsal upright eliminate boney impingement, most found with other traditional elbow systems.

Medical professionals will appreciate decreased fitting times and infinite ROM positioning between 0⁰ to 110⁰. The QUAD™ elbow orthosis joint offers four functional variations (Ratchet, lockout, Variable ROM, and Free motion) that can help address numerous patient needs.

Features

• Low profile for appearance
• Simple, fast-fit designs
• New wrap-around closure with open cell material
• Infinite ROM from 0 degrees to 110 degrees
• No medial upright impingement
• Decreased fitting time
• Single dorsal upright
• Dynamic ratchet style passive stretch
• Bi-directional stretching

General Uses

• Acute and Sub Acute
• Home Health Rehab
• Neuromuscular Rehab
• Orthopedic Rehab
• Caregiver Assistance

Specific Uses:

• Musculoskeletal injury immobilization
• Elbow Flexion Contracture Management
• CVA, TBI, SCI, CP, and MS
• Post Op Radial head injury

To learn more about choosing the right elbow contracture for your patient – including one of ours – contact our team here.