A posterior elbow resting splint is a long shell along the BACK of the upper arm, elbow and forearm that holds the elbow still at a set angle, usually close to a right angle.
It’s used for a short period after elbow fractures, dislocations and elbow surgery, to control pain and protect the injury in the first days.
SHORT is the key word. The elbow stiffens faster than most joints, so for many injuries the splint gives way to movement within days to a couple of weeks.
What it does
- Holds the elbow still, which settles pain and swelling after injury or surgery
- Controls forearm position, palm up, palm down or in between, depending on which structures need protecting
- Protects a fixation or repair until early movement is safe
- Can be removable, so exercise sessions start as soon as your surgeon allows
The elbow forgives almost anything except being held still for too long.
What it’s used for
- Radial head fractures, usually for a few days only, for comfort
- Elbow dislocations, briefly, before movement in a hinged brace or free
- Fractures around the elbow, including children’s fractures, before or after fixation
- After elbow surgery, such as distal biceps repair or fracture fixation, until the protected movement phase
- Night extension splinting for a stiff elbow, where the same shell is molded straighter to hold gains overnight. See static progressive splints
Keeping the rest of the arm moving
- Fingers: full fists and full straightening, many times a day
- Wrist, if it’s not inside the splint
- Shoulder: gentle movement daily, because a shoulder held protectively in a sling stiffens too
- Hand raised when resting, to keep swelling down
A typical pattern
- Days 0 to 7: splint on for comfort and protection, out only as instructed
- Weeks 1 to 3: for many stable injuries, the splint is weaned and movement begins. For repairs and fixations, it’s swapped for a hinged brace or removable splint
- After that: movement is the priority. Stiffness that isn’t improving by 6 to 8 weeks needs active management
Get it checked urgently if
- Severe pain that keeps rising, especially pain when the fingers are gently straightened
- Fingers that are pale, cold, blue or numb
- A tight, swollen forearm under the splint
- Tingling in the ring and little fingers that doesn’t settle
Severe, rising pain after an elbow fracture, particularly in a child, can signal pressure building inside the forearm. That is an emergency.
This is one of dozens of splints a hand therapist makes. See what a hand therapist does for the full list, and elbow anatomy for why it stiffens so easily.
Rest the elbow briefly, move everything else, and start the elbow moving as soon as it’s safe.
Every article on this site is written using the Closing Window Method: name the window your condition runs on, find where you are in it, and act while it’s still open.