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Joint problems are very common among people of all ages. These include inflammation, metabolic disorders, damage and tumors. To establish an accurate diagnosis and conduct treatment, a puncture of the joints is used.
Puncture of the elbow joint is performed for injuries and diseases that are accompanied by an excess amount of fluid in the cavity of the elbow joint. The accumulation of blood in the cavity most often occurs due to bruises, torn ligaments and intra-articular fractures. It is worth noting that the accumulation of fluid does not always appear immediately after the injury, sometimes it occurs after a fairly long period of time.
In traumatology and orthopedics, this procedure is performed to pump out fluid, determine its nature, and also to introduce drugs into the cavity of the elbow joint. This manipulation is performed under local anesthesia.
Depending on the purpose, this procedure has 2 types: diagnostic and therapeutic. Diagnostic puncture of the elbow joint is performed to determine the nature of the fluid that has accumulated. If blood is found in the elbow cavity, then for a specialist this is a signal that the cartilage is damaged.
The accumulation of blood in the elbow joint can provoke synovitis and cartilage atrophy, as well as cause intra-articular adhesions. In addition, diagnostics allows you to determine the presence of “rice bodies” and “articular mice” in the cavity of the elbow joint. Studies of the fluid taken using the puncture technique can indicate a specific disease and suggest the most appropriate method of treatment.
Therapeutic puncture can be performed to eliminate various pathologies and disorders. The list of these diseases is quite wide. In the treatment of hemarthrosis of the elbow, accumulated blood is removed.
Often, this disease occurs due to torn ligaments, bruises or fractures of the joints. With osteoarthritis, arthritis and synovitis that occur after injuries, the doctor must remove fluid from the cavity.
If the fluid consisted of pus, then after its removal, antibiotics are required to prevent recurrence. In addition, puncture of the elbow joint allows you to anesthetize the arm before repositioning the joint. Also, with the help of a puncture, oxygen or air is introduced to restore joint mobility.
Indications for puncture
Joint puncture is also called arthrocentesis and is performed in the following cases:
- with inflammation of the elbow;
- with accumulation of fluid and pus;
- with chronic inflammation;
- with injuries in the elbow area;
- with allergic lesions;
- with tuberculosis, brucellosis;
- with rheumatism;
- before a planned operation.
Performing a puncture of the elbow joint
First of all, when performing a puncture, the rules of antisepsis and sterility should be strictly observed. All instruments and preparations used for the procedure must be disinfected. In addition, they must meet all medical standards. Before the puncture, the patient’s skin in the elbow area should be treated with alcohol, lubricated with iodine solution and wiped again with alcohol. This must be done so that iodine does not get into the cavity of the elbow joint and does not cause a chemical burn.
The procedure should be performed lying down or sitting. The bend of the arm should be fixed at a right angle so that the puncture site is behind.
When making a puncture, the doctor must slightly shift the patient’s skin. This is necessary so that the infection cannot penetrate into the elbow cavity. With the help of such manipulation, the wound channel will be closed. The specialist must slowly and very carefully advance the needle. After removing it, a patch is applied. In the first 24 hours after the puncture, you can not wet and rub your hand.
Possible complications and features
Like any other intervention, an elbow puncture can have unpleasant consequences. It is worth noting that they are quite rare, but you need to know about them for your own good.
Such complications include: damage to the anatomical structure, hemarthrosis, infection of the elbow. To avoid the appearance of these unpleasant consequences, you should be aware of the contraindications for puncture. This includes: joint immobility, deformity, bleeding disorders, the presence of wounds, burns, rashes and other skin diseases. It should be noted that it is wounds, rashes, burns and other unpleasant things that can become a source of infection in the elbow joint.
An elbow puncture is a minor injury, but still. After the anesthesia wears off, the person may experience some pain, which should disappear over time.
In addition, swelling may increase, therefore, during this period, the load on the hands should be reduced, and external influences of various kinds should be avoided: cold, dust, moisture. After the puncture, the doctor may prescribe some physiotherapy procedures, ointments, painkillers and anti-inflammatory drugs. All this is selected by the doctor individually for each individual patient.
The puncture of the elbow joint should have exclusively medical indications and be prescribed as needed. A professionally performed procedure can provide enough information for diagnosis and further treatment.
It is important to understand that it is absolutely impossible to prescribe, and even more so to perform such manipulation on your own. Such things can pose a serious danger to human health. As a result, a person may lose mobility and functionality of the elbow.