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Functional activities of Elbow Complex, Relationship to the hand and wrist…
Functional activities of Elbow Complex
Elbow complex utilized for almost all activities of daily living
Dressing, eating, carrying and lifting
To do specific tasks such as
Hammering nails, playing golf, splitting firewood
Combination of motion at both elbow and radioulnar joints is necessary
An arc of upto 100 degrees of flexion and 100 degrees of rotation at the
forearm might be needed to accomplish such tasks
Examples:
Using a telephone requires both pronation and supination along with flexion
Drinking from a glass?
Relationship to the hand and wrist
Design of the radioulnar joints enhances the mobility of hand
Complete separation of ulna from carpal bones allows supination and pronation
Moveable forearm (mobility) is unable to provide stability for the wrist and
hand muscles
Most muscles attached superiorly onto the humerus to provide a stable base
the elbow complex stability is reinforced by
Flexor carpi ulnaris muscle
Felxor carpi ulnaris,
flexor digitorum superficialis and
flexor carpi radialis
will provide dynamic stabilization
and reduce medial collateral ligament strain
All extensor muscles can
increase the strain in the medial collateral ligament
can reinforce the
medial collateral ligament and
resist
valgus stress
during throwing activtites
the Hand and wrist muscles
Effects of age and gender on the elbow
muscles
Decrease in muscle strength due to aging is dependent on the following factors
1.Type of muscle action
Eccentric peak torque showed a 25% decline in men and no significant changes in women
Concentric peak torque showed a 28% decrease in men and a 20% decrease in women
Isometric contraction is least affected by age
2.Muscle group involved
Active elbow flexion and extension power decreases with age significantly
No age related differences in supination and pronation
4.Gender
Isokinetic strength in elbow flexors and extensors declined by 2% per decade for women and 12%
per decade for men
5.Level of physical activity
Smaller pennation angles and decreased fascicle length also contributes to loss of
muscle function in elderly
Maximal isometric force and series elastic component compliance of the elbow
flexors are significantly less in elderly