Olecranon Fracture ORIF: Your Journey from Preparation to Full Recovery
In the week leading up to your olecranon fracture ORIF, stop taking non‑steroidal anti‑inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), vitamin E, herbal supplements and fish‑oil products 7 days before surgery and discuss any blood‑thinning medications with your surgeon. Continue essential medications as directed and arrange for a responsible adult to drive you home.
The night before surgery, shower with Hibiclens (chlorhexidine) antiseptic solution, lathering your body and focusing on the surgical arm for two minutes before rinsing. Do not shave the arm or apply lotions, and dress in clean clothes. After midnight you should not eat any solid food.
On the morning of surgery, repeat the Hibiclens wash or use the provided chlorhexidine cloths to clean your body and surgical site, then let the skin air dry before putting on clean clothes. Do not eat or drink anything other than approved medications with small sips of water until your procedure.
After surgery your arm will be in a splint and sling. Keep the splint clean and dry until your first postoperative visit, usually 1–2 weeks after surgery. Elevate your arm on a pillow when resting and gradually progress your diet from clear liquids to normal foods. Apply ice packs to the elbow for 20–30 minutes every two hours during the first few days to control swelling【747905704649420†L69-L74】. Do not put weight through the operative arm while it is in the splint【24342984151553†L179-L184】.
Do not bear any weight with your surgical arm while it is immobilized in the splint and brace. During the protection phase (first 4–6 weeks) avoid lifting, pushing or pulling with the involved upper extremity. Light use of the hand for activities of daily living may begin around four weeks, and progressive weight‑bearing on the hand and elbow (tabletop and wall exercises) is introduced after week 6.
Continue to wear the splint and sling for comfort, keeping the arm elevated at rest. Begin gentle shoulder, wrist and hand range‑of‑motion exercises 2–3 times per day, but avoid active elbow flexion and lifting. Your first postoperative appointment is typically 7–14 days after surgery, when sutures are removed and you are transitioned to a hinged elbow brace.
Schedule your first postoperative appointment within 1–2 weeks to remove the splint and sutures and to apply a hinged brace. Subsequent visits will adjust the brace’s range of motion and provide a physical‑therapy protocol; therapy generally begins after this first visit.
By about 3–4 weeks, you may begin light activities of daily living with the brace. Around 6 weeks, your surgeon will encourage gentle elbow motion and may discontinue the brace; you should still avoid lifting anything heavier than a glass of water until after the first six weeks. At six weeks, a sling is no longer necessary and formal range‑of‑motion and strengthening exercises start.
Full bony healing and near‑normal elbow function typically occur within three months. Lighter activities can resume within four weeks, but sports, heavy lifting and vigorous activities may require several months; function usually approaches normal with minimal pain within two to three months. Physical therapy and strengthening exercises may continue beyond three months to optimize range of motion and strength.