Elbow Fracture Treatment: Carol's Story

A Sidewalk Fall Results in a Severe Elbow Fracture

One summer afternoon last year while walking in Chicago, she inadvertently tripped in her self-described ‘sensible shoes’ and fell, hitting both her head and elbow on the sidewalk. Her head was her biggest concern, and she flagged down a doorman to help her up and to call for help.

“I was bleeding from my head and was initially worried I had sustained a concussion,” she says. “I was dizzy and in shock. My painful elbow seemed secondary.”

She immediately went to a nearby Rush urgent care center where a provider reassured her that her head injury wasn’t serious. He also ordered imaging for her elbow which showed that her elbow was a greater concern. She had severely fractured her left olecranon, the pointy tip of the elbow. Carol was referred to the Rush emergency department for a higher level of care.

“I was told that the tip of my elbow was essentially broken off and that I would need surgery,” Carol explains. “I couldn’t believe it, but I knew the only place I wanted to go was Midwest Orthopaedics at Rush.”

Seeking Expert Elbow Fracture Treatment at Midwest Orthopaedics at Rush

At the emergency department, she was fitted with a temporary cast and referred to Xavier Simcock, MD, a hand, wrist, and elbow surgeon at Midwest Orthopaedics at Rush with experience in treating elbow fractures. Once home, she reached out to Dr. Simcock’s office right away.

“Dr. Simcock was great,” Carol says. “He was very no-nonsense, personable, and listened to me very carefully. That was important to me. We also connected because we went to the same undergraduate school.”  After some discussion and a review of her imaging, they agreed that surgery was her best option to resume normal use of her arm and scheduled it at Rush University Medical Center.

“Given the type of fracture she had and the fact that she wanted the fastest recovery, I recommended a specialized fracture plate system to allow her the best and fastest range of motion,” Dr Simcock explained. “I told her that I am very comfortable treating trauma cases and also reviewed each step of the recovery process with her.”

Surgery was a success, lasting about one hour, and Carol went home the same day with a new cast. She wore it for six weeks and then returned for a scheduled evaluation.

“Dr. Simcock was very pleased with how I had healed in six weeks,” Carol says. “So, the cast came off and I was so happy to be able to move my arm again. The best part is that painting was once again on my mind.”

As instructed, Carol performed occupational therapy for four weeks to regain normal use of her elbow, and she graduated with flying colors. Her range of motion was completely normal.

Back to Painting Full-Time After Elbow Fracture Plate Surgery

Once declared fully functional, Carol re-committed to painting and retired from her ‘day job.’  She resumed her career as a full-time painter, expanding from just portraits to different subjects and creative works. Today, just six months later, she paints as much as she wants, typically three to four hours daily with an occasional day off.

And Dr. Simcock is incredibly pleased too.

“Recreating anatomy after an injury and guiding patients through the journey is a privilege,” he says. “It is always rewarding to return a patient to their goals, even when they are stressed over the initial set back.”