Accidents, trauma, and sports injuries can result in painful tendons, compressed nerves, and broken limbs. Arms and elbows are built to withstand a lot of use, but there are times when overuse or injury warrants a trip to the Torrance orthopedic surgeon.
Arm and elbow arthroscopy surgery is a minimally invasive surgery that uses a tiny robotic camera. This camera allows the surgeon to view injuries located on the bone and within the joints easily. Since the arthroscope camera is so small, it results in less tissue damage than traditional open surgical methods. Torrance arm and elbow surgeon Dr. Mellano has been performing arthroscopy for arm and elbow injuries for the past decade, and he is highly skilled in operating the device with the precise control of an orthopedic surgeon’s hands.
Tennis elbow, also referred to as lateral epicondylitis, causes elbow pain that can be mild to severe. The cause of tennis elbow is an overuse of the tendons located in the elbow, such as the type of exertion that might occur from playing tennis regularly, although this is by no means the only known tennis elbow cause.
The muscles and tendons located near the elbow as well as the forearm become strained with excessive use. Does tennis elbow go away on its own? In most cases, yes. Resting the elbow and avoiding physical exertion on the elbow and forearm can go a long way to fix tennis elbow naturally. However, tendons heal slowly. The process can take months. If your tennis elbow is worsening over time or failing to resolve after a prolonged period of rest, ice, use of a brace, or pain relief medication, at Mellano Orthopedics in Torrance tennis elbow surgery is offered to fix or remove the damaged tendons. This is a one-day procedure performed in the convenience of an outpatient setting.
Elbow replacement surgery in Torrance using camera-assisted technology allows Dr. Chris Mellano’s patients to return home the same day as surgery. Using an arthroscope camera, he is able to view inside the joint of the elbow without having to create the large incisions that are necessary with traditional open surgery. Dr. Mellano can perform a partial or total joint replacement to relieve a variety of elbow problems that are disrupting your daily life and causing pain. Schedule your consultation for an Torrance elbow joint replacement today to learn what we can do for you.
Falling and landing directly on the elbow can result in a painful elbow injury. A break in the bony tip of the elbow is known as an olecranon fracture.
Like most fractures of the arm and elbow, broken bones may heal nicely without the need for surgery. A sling or brace helps to immobilize the elbow as the bony tip heals. However, Olecranon Surgery may be needed if the patient has a displaced elbow (elbow dislocation) or if the fracture is exposed through the skin (open fracture).
Pins, wires, plates, or metal screws are used to support the broken elbow as it heals over a period of 6 to 12 weeks. Dr. Mellano may recommend physical therapy for elbow fractures. Physical therapy is very effective at restoring the elbow to a normal level of function after immobilization has prompted healing. In just a few weeks, the elbow will feel more back to normal and getting better each day.
A broken arm is a common injury. Most often, broken arms can be treated with a cast to immobilize the bones as they heal. An x-ray is taken to assess the arm injury, then a hard cast or soft cast may be placed.
In some cases, arm fractures can be severe enough to warrant the surgical correction of the broken bones, for example, if the arm bone is visibly protruding through the skin. Dr. Chris Mellano routinely performs open reduction and internal fixation (ORIF Surgery) to stabilize the broken bones. This is done to repair severe humerus fractures (upper arm fractures). Pins, rods, metal plates, or metal screws may be needed to hold the bone in place. If the broken arm is not visible through the skin at the time of injury, it is generally better to wait to have surgery until the initial swelling has subsided.
There is a nerve located on the inside part of the elbow, known as the ulnar nerve. The ulnar nerve runs all the way to the fingers, so when the ulnar elbow nerve has pressure on it due to overuse or injury, it can cause pain to run down the arm and into the hand. Needless to say, this is very uncomfortable and makes performing everyday tasks such as typing and handwriting rather difficult.
When elbow pads, splints, and resting the elbow fail to relieve cubital tunnels, then cubital tunnel surgery may be required. This minimally invasive elbow surgery does not require overnight hospitalization with patients returning home after a brief outpatient procedure performed by Dr. Chris Mellano. Untreated Cubital Tunnel Syndrome can lead to permanent nerve damage in the hand. If you have chronic cubital tunnel syndrome, surgery can provide a meaningful improvement to your quality of life.
Dr. Mellano’s mission is to give his Torrance patients the freedom to keep doing the activities they love. If you are struggling with joint pain, arthritis, lack of mobility, or joint inflammation, contact Dr. Mellano for a consultation so he can help you get moving again.
