From the Pulled Elbow Wiki:
If the forearm of a young child is pulled, by an impatient parent or for whatever reason, it is possible for this traction to pull the radius into the annular ligament with enough force to cause it to be jammed therein. This causes significant pain, partial limitation of flexion/extension of the elbow and total loss of pronation/supination in the affected arm.
During my apres-work excursions with Dave & Mikaela Thursday night, I played the role of impatient parent. While Dave was extracting our millions from the bank machine, Mikaela made a break for it. As I grabbed her arm to stop her, she pulled the typical toddler move of allowing all her body weight to sag to the ground...leaving her essentially dangling from one arm. She began to cry immediately, but given I'd just stopped her escape - I wasn't particularly concerned.
We tried our normal routes of distraction - the yummy blueberry muffin was rejected, and the swing only held interest if Mommy was holding her. At this point, I couldn't help remembering my sister Bobbi's email from earlier this week. Her daughter, Tara, had fallen out of bed and been diagnosed with a pulled elbow. I began to take inventory and was informed that Mikaela had a Momma Booboo under her shirt. As Mikaela is fond of discussing her booboo's this wasn't so alarming, but her decided lack of use of her right arm was beginning to be. We headed home, she wanted only to be carried and even the excitement of the Troll Bridge did nothing to improve her spirits.
Once home, Mikaela allowed us to further poke and prod her. In the theme of "better safe, than sorry", we headed to the doctor's to have the Momma Booboo investigated. It was indeed a pulled elbow; as I watched the doctor manipulate her elbow back into place, every bite of guilt I had stored away from her starving infant days came roaring back. I could now add words like significant pain, partial limitations and total loss to the list of things I've caused my daughter. Although the doctor warned us her arm would be sore for the rest of the evening, I was unprepared for seeing out normally boisterous daughter refusing to use her right arm. As she woke that night for the third time, we gave her Tylenol and guilt-ridden I asked Dave to take us to the hospital. He obliged, and as we sat in the waiting room, she finally began to use her right arm again. We left without seeing a doctor and on the way home I realized a valuable lesson - always wait for the Tylenol to kick in.
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This happened to me when I was a kid too - I pulled a flop to the ground, I'm not cooperating, with my dad at the mall when I was under 3. They had to take me to the hospital and have them snap my elbow back into place and I think my dad may still be traumatized to this day by the experience. On the bright side, I remember it not at all, but have a "cool" story to tell people ;)
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