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Dr. Andrew Rynne
MD
Dr. Andrew Rynne

Family Physician

Exp 50 years

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What Causes Severe Swelling In The Left Elbow After An Injury?

My husband hit his left elbow hard on a wall as he was going thru a doorway about 3 weeks go. He definitely hit a stud in the wall. He had initial soreness but it has continued now to get bigger and redder. It s not really painful for him, so we are not sure if he needs to seek medical attention or not. We are puzzled that the swelling has only gotten worse all this time later. I think it s Olecranon Bursitis based on research. But when does one need to seek medical attention to get it drained? And what type of doctor should one seek? I think maybe he shattered some bone and the fragmented shards are keeping it aggravated? Does need an x-ray or an MRI ?
Mon, 14 Aug 2017
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  User's Response
Hi there,

You are correct to be concerned. After 3 weeks, he should be getting better and not worse, as you've pointed out. Bursitis is definitely possible, as there's a sac in the elbow joint (bursa) that can get infected. And yes, a fracture or shards in the area could cause this. I think an MRI is a bit overkill to start; you can easily make the diagnosis of shards/fractures with a simple X-ray. I'd go to your primary care physician, or even an urgent care and have them check an X-ray to start. In the meantime, ice and NSAID's such as ibuprofen can help in either case with bursitis or a fracture.

I hope this is helpful. Feel free to contact me if you have any further questions.
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What Causes Severe Swelling In The Left Elbow After An Injury?

Hi there, You are correct to be concerned. After 3 weeks, he should be getting better and not worse, as you ve pointed out. Bursitis is definitely possible, as there s a sac in the elbow joint (bursa) that can get infected. And yes, a fracture or shards in the area could cause this. I think an MRI is a bit overkill to start; you can easily make the diagnosis of shards/fractures with a simple X-ray. I d go to your primary care physician, or even an urgent care and have them check an X-ray to start. In the meantime, ice and NSAID s such as ibuprofen can help in either case with bursitis or a fracture. I hope this is helpful. Feel free to contact me if you have any further questions.