Elbow joint specialist in Mumbai

Bones and Joints of the elbow joint:

Given below is a brief description of each of the three bones that are involved in the articulation of the elbow joint:

• Humerus: The humerus forms the upper part of the joint. The lower end of the humerus divides into two bony protrusions; medial and lateral epicondyles. We can feel these two protrusions are present on either side of our elbow joint.
• Ulna: Ulna is the bigger bone of the forearm. It is located on the inner surface of the elbow joint. Ulna's curved-shaped fuses with the humerus.
• Radius: The radius is situated on the outer surface of the joint. It is the smaller bone of the forearm. The head of the radius is hollow and circular, which makes its movement with the humerus possible. In addition, its connection with Ulna allows the rotation of the forearm.

The three joints present in the elbow include:

• Humero-ulnar: This joint is formed between the Humerus and Ulna and allows flexion and extension of the arm.
• Humero-radial: This joint is formed between the Radius and Humerus and allows movements like flexion, extension, supination, and pronation.
• Radio-ulnar: This joint is formed between the ulna and radius bones and makes the rotation of the arm possible.

The articulating regions of the Humerus, Radius, and Ulna are lined with articular cartilage lines. Articular cartilage is a flexible, thin, tough, and slippery surface that allows easy articulation, increased weight distribution, and shock absorption. Furthermore, the cartilage is lubricated by synovial fluid, which makes the smooth movement of the bones possible.

Muscles of the Elbow Joint

There are a number of muscles extending across the elbow joint that allow it various movements. They are explained as follows:

• Biceps brachii: It is the upper arm muscle that enables flexion of the arm.
• Brachii: This muscle is present in the posterior of the upper arm and is responsible for fixing the elbow during its fine movements.
• Brachialis: It is the upper arm muscle beneath the biceps and flexes the elbow towards our body.
• Brachioradialis: It is a forearm muscle that straightens, flexes, and draws the arm towards the elbow.
• Pronator teres: This muscle serves to pronate the forearm, which means that it helps to turn the palm facing backward. Pronator teres extends from the head of the humeral, across the elbow, and towards the Ulna.
• Extensor carpi radialis brevis: This is a forearm muscle that acts to extend and abduct the wrist.
• Extensor digitorum (ED): Extensor digitorum communis is the muscle present in as forearm that makes finger movements possible.

Elbow joint ligaments and tendons:

Both Ligaments and tendons are composed of connective tissues, and they provide support and stability to the elbow joint.

Ligaments

Ligaments are a group of muscular tissues that connect bones to other bones. Given below are the two most important ligaments of the elbow joint which together stabilize the elbow:

• Medial collateral ligament: Medial or ulnar collateral ligaments are comprised of triangular tissue bands on the elbow joint's inner side.
• Lateral collateral ligament: Lateral or radial collateral ligament is present on the outer side of the elbow joint.

The medial and lateral ligaments are responsible for holding the Humerus and Ulna tightly in position during the arm movement.

• Annular ligament: It is a band of fibers that surrounds the radial head and holds the Ulna and Radius tightly in place during arm movement.

Furthermore, the ligaments around a joint combine to form a joint capsule that contains synovial fluid. Any injury to these ligaments can result in joint instability. Our elbow joint specialist in Dadar, Mumbai frequently performs elbow joint repair and replacement surgeries to treat such complex ligament injuries.

Tendons

Tendons are the groups of connective tissue fibers that connect muscles to bones. Given below are the two tendons which surround the elbow joint:

• Biceps tendon: As the name suggests, the biceps tendons attach the biceps muscle to the radius, thus allowing the bending movement of the elbow.
• Triceps tendon: Tricep tendons attach the triceps muscle to the Ulna and allow the straightening of the elbow.

Nerves of the elbow joint:

The most important nerves present in the elbow joint are known as ulnar, radial, and median nerves. The function of these nerves is to transfer signals from the brain to the muscles that make the movement of the elbow possible. In addition, they also carry important sensory signals such as touch, temperature, and pain back to the brain.

"These nerves are crucial for the functioning of the arm, and even a minor injury or damage to these nerves can lead to the pain, weakness, or instability of the elbow joint", says our elbow joint specialist in Mumbai.

Blood Vessels:

Arteries are blood vessels that perform the role of transporting oxygen-pure blood from the heart to the hand. The brachial artery is the main artery that extends across the inner side of the elbow and divides itself into two small branches below the elbow to form the ulnar and the radial artery.