Brachial artery rupture associated with closed posterior elbow dislocation: a case report and review of the literature.

A case report of a closed posterior elbow dislocation with brachial artery rupture treated with a reversed saphenous vein graft, fasciotomy, and medical collateral ligament (anterior oblique component) repair is presented. A literature review of 21 other similar cases is discussed. Three patients were treated with direct arterial suturing, four with ligation, four closed reductions, nine vein grafts, and two were undescribed. Early postoperative complications included anastomosis failure in two patients (9%) and thrombosis in three patients (14%). At final follow-up, 12 patients (55%) had a motor and/or sensory deficit, and 11 patients (50%) had restriction of elbow extension. Seven of these 11 patients had a loss of elbow extension of 5 to 15 degrees; the other four patients had a loss of 20 to 35 degrees.