Objective To explore the effect of rehabilitation nursing mode in patients undergoing elbow arthroscopic arthrolysis.

Methods A total of 86 patients with elbow arthroscopic arthrolysis were selected for rehabilitation nursing. The degree of swelling and pain were evaluated at 24, 48, 72 hours and 4, 7 days postoperatively and elbow function and range of motion were recorded 1 day before surgery and 2 months after surgery. The correlation between elbow range of motion and clinical data was analyzed.

Results Postoperative cubital crease circumference, 5 cm above as well as 5 cm below the cubital crease and Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) score decreased in a time-dependent manner (P < 0.01). Two months after surgery, the range of flexion activity was significantly higher than that before surgery, and the range of extension activity was significantly lower than that before surgery (P < 0.01). The range of flexion activity two months after surgery was negatively correlated with the preoperative range of extension activity (P < 0.01), and was positively correlated with the preoperative range of flexion activity (P < 0.01). Postoperative elbow range of motion in patients with no history of trauma, with hypertension and diabetes was significantly worse than that in patients with history of trauma and those without hypertension and diabetes (P < 0.05).

Conclusion Rehabilitation nursing mode can relieve the pain and swelling degree of patients undergoing elbow arthroscopic arthrolysis. Poor preoperative range of motion, no history of trauma, hypertension and diabetes patients have poor postoperative elbow range of motion recovery, thus rehabilitation nursing should be paid attention to them.