Introduction:

25% of elbow dislocations correspond to complex dislocations, which are defined as those dislocations that are accompanied by bone injuries, being more unstable than pure or simple dislocations. These lesions have set an important therapeutic challenge, since historically poor functional results have been obtained. The objective of this study is to review the literature on the treatment of complex elbow dislocations with posterolateral instability, and to assess the results of the multiple therapeutic options.

Materials and Methods:

The systematized search was carried out using the Pubmed search engine, obtaining a total of 1450 articles, of which 32 met the established inclusion and exclusion criteria.

Results:

The studies analyzed were of a low level of evidence, III or IV, corresponding mostly to retrospective case series. The large number of existing therapeutic variants stands out, with different therapeutic protocols, which yield similar functional results.

Conclusions:

Complex elbow dislocations correspond to complex injuries, capable of causing important functional sequelae in patients. The establishment of therapeutic protocols is key to obtaining better functional results.

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