Olecranon Orif

Olécranon ORIF Procedure

The elbow is a joint that functions as the hinge of the arm. The olecranon is the upper part of the ulna, bone that belongs to the forearm. If the olecranon ruptures, surgery will be necessary.

Local or general anaesthesia may be administered. And after the surgery it will be necessary to go after 15 days to eliminate the stitches and verify the wound.

Operation Olécranon risks

As with all procedures, this carries some risks and complications.

Common

• Pain: the procedure hurts afterwards. It is important to discuss this with the staff and ask for painkillers if necessary.
• Scar: The operation will leave a thin one at the back of the elbow. You can discuss the length of this with your surgeon.

Rare

• Infection: May occur as redness, discharge, or temperature around the wound. A course of antibiotics may be necessary once the source has been isolated.
• Scars may be treated with steroid injection or surgically if necessary.
• Fat necrosis: This is also a cause of delayed scarring.
• Neurovascular Damage-There are many important nerves and blood vessels running down the arm.
• Delayed wound healing: This can occur if the wound is stressed, infected, or has poor blood supply.
• Bleeding: There will inevitably be some bleeding, but this is usually controlled at the time of the operation.
• Delay / lack of union: This can occur because the bone is damaged, the bone is of poor quality or the bone is not well.

Alternative procedure

All broken bones can be treated without an operation by resting the arm in a cast. However, they may not establish themselves in the correct position or may not join together at all. Therefore, the Surgeon will be the one to make the most appropriate decision for each case.