THE EFFECTS OF A PHYSIOTHERAPEUTIC COMPLEX IN PATIENT WITH POST-TRAUMATIC STIFF ELBOW

Elbow stiffness is a relatively common condition and represents a significant disability. A proper clinical history is essential for therapeutic surgical or non-surgical planning. Purpose: The study aims to investigate the possibility of treating and preventing elbow stiffness. Material and Method...

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Main Authors: Petar Petkov, Detelina Nedyalkova-Petkova, Evgeniya Vladeva, Liliya Panayotova-Ovcharova, Stoyan Ivanov
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Peytchinski Publishing 2025-02-01
Series:Journal of IMAB
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Online Access:https://www.journal-imab-bg.org/issues-2025/issue1/2025vol31-issue1-6013-6017.pdf
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author Petar Petkov
Detelina Nedyalkova-Petkova
Evgeniya Vladeva
Liliya Panayotova-Ovcharova
Stoyan Ivanov
author_facet Petar Petkov
Detelina Nedyalkova-Petkova
Evgeniya Vladeva
Liliya Panayotova-Ovcharova
Stoyan Ivanov
author_sort Petar Petkov
collection DOAJ
description Elbow stiffness is a relatively common condition and represents a significant disability. A proper clinical history is essential for therapeutic surgical or non-surgical planning. Purpose: The study aims to investigate the possibility of treating and preventing elbow stiffness. Material and Methods: A 63-year-old woman was diagnosed with a fracture of the distal humerus and a fracture of the olecranon process. The fractures were treated in the prone position and with a dorsal approach to the elbow. The distal humerus was fixed with medial and dorsolateral locking plates, while the olecranon process was fixed with Webber osteosynthesis. After the operation, the woman required postoperative soft immobilisation for about 30 days. A seven-day treatment was conducted using a combination of Multiwave Locked System (MLS) laser therapy and kinesiotherapy techniques. Results: On day 1 /T1, after physical examination, the patient was diagnosed with significantly limited range of motion, pain at the end of motion, and swelling of the elbow. On day 7 /T2/ of the seven-day rehabilitation treatment cycle, we observed significant improvement in elbow contracture, range of flexion, reduced swelling, VAS scores, and Mayo Elbow Performance Index scores. Conclusions: The reported improvement in all the monitored indicators gives us reason to conduct a study on the application of a therapeutic protocol in patients with orthopedic implants of the elbow joint. The challenge in the treatment of postoperative contracture with limitation of movement in the elbow joint requires the inclusion of modern physiotherapeutic methods in its complex treatment.
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spelling doaj-art-659d57d8a9e042bb99cc3ba23d5e4a8b2025-08-20T03:01:07ZengPeytchinski PublishingJournal of IMAB1312-773X2025-02-013116013601710.5272/jimab.2025311.6013THE EFFECTS OF A PHYSIOTHERAPEUTIC COMPLEX IN PATIENT WITH POST-TRAUMATIC STIFF ELBOWPetar Petkov0https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0168-8647Detelina Nedyalkova-Petkova1https://orcid.org/0009-0001-6060-7600Evgeniya Vladeva2https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7152-7171Liliya Panayotova-Ovcharova3https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6139-1784Stoyan Ivanov4https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4711-2766Department of Orthopedics and Traumatology, University Hospital St. Marina -Varna, Faculty of Medicine, Medical University, Varna, Bulgaria.Department of Physiotherapy, Rehabilitation and Thalassotherapy, University Hospital St. Marina -Varna, Faculty of Public Health, Medical University of Varna, Bulgaria.Department of Physiotherapy, Rehabilitation and Thalassotherapy, University Hospital St. Marina -Varna, Faculty of Public Health, Medical University of Varna, Bulgaria.Department of Physiotherapy, Rehabilitation and Thalassotherapy, University Hospital St. Marina -Varna, Faculty of Public Health, Medical University of Varna, Bulgaria.Department of Orthopedics and Traumatology, University Hospital St. Marina -Varna, Faculty of Medicine, Medical University, Varna, Bulgaria.Elbow stiffness is a relatively common condition and represents a significant disability. A proper clinical history is essential for therapeutic surgical or non-surgical planning. Purpose: The study aims to investigate the possibility of treating and preventing elbow stiffness. Material and Methods: A 63-year-old woman was diagnosed with a fracture of the distal humerus and a fracture of the olecranon process. The fractures were treated in the prone position and with a dorsal approach to the elbow. The distal humerus was fixed with medial and dorsolateral locking plates, while the olecranon process was fixed with Webber osteosynthesis. After the operation, the woman required postoperative soft immobilisation for about 30 days. A seven-day treatment was conducted using a combination of Multiwave Locked System (MLS) laser therapy and kinesiotherapy techniques. Results: On day 1 /T1, after physical examination, the patient was diagnosed with significantly limited range of motion, pain at the end of motion, and swelling of the elbow. On day 7 /T2/ of the seven-day rehabilitation treatment cycle, we observed significant improvement in elbow contracture, range of flexion, reduced swelling, VAS scores, and Mayo Elbow Performance Index scores. Conclusions: The reported improvement in all the monitored indicators gives us reason to conduct a study on the application of a therapeutic protocol in patients with orthopedic implants of the elbow joint. The challenge in the treatment of postoperative contracture with limitation of movement in the elbow joint requires the inclusion of modern physiotherapeutic methods in its complex treatment.https://www.journal-imab-bg.org/issues-2025/issue1/2025vol31-issue1-6013-6017.pdfelbow stiffnesselbow fracturemultiwave locked system (mls) laser therapykinesitherapycryotherapy
spellingShingle Petar Petkov
Detelina Nedyalkova-Petkova
Evgeniya Vladeva
Liliya Panayotova-Ovcharova
Stoyan Ivanov
THE EFFECTS OF A PHYSIOTHERAPEUTIC COMPLEX IN PATIENT WITH POST-TRAUMATIC STIFF ELBOW
Journal of IMAB
elbow stiffness
elbow fracture
multiwave locked system (mls) laser therapy
kinesitherapy
cryotherapy
title THE EFFECTS OF A PHYSIOTHERAPEUTIC COMPLEX IN PATIENT WITH POST-TRAUMATIC STIFF ELBOW
title_full THE EFFECTS OF A PHYSIOTHERAPEUTIC COMPLEX IN PATIENT WITH POST-TRAUMATIC STIFF ELBOW
title_fullStr THE EFFECTS OF A PHYSIOTHERAPEUTIC COMPLEX IN PATIENT WITH POST-TRAUMATIC STIFF ELBOW
title_full_unstemmed THE EFFECTS OF A PHYSIOTHERAPEUTIC COMPLEX IN PATIENT WITH POST-TRAUMATIC STIFF ELBOW
title_short THE EFFECTS OF A PHYSIOTHERAPEUTIC COMPLEX IN PATIENT WITH POST-TRAUMATIC STIFF ELBOW
title_sort effects of a physiotherapeutic complex in patient with post traumatic stiff elbow
topic elbow stiffness
elbow fracture
multiwave locked system (mls) laser therapy
kinesitherapy
cryotherapy
url https://www.journal-imab-bg.org/issues-2025/issue1/2025vol31-issue1-6013-6017.pdf
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