Recipe for shortened elbow range of motion: 1 part traumatic injury blended with surgery and 4-6 parts immobilization and voila- you have one stiff elbow. Symptoms of a fracture include pain on the outside of the elbow, swelling in the elbow joint, difficulty in bending or straightening the elbow and inability in turning the forearm. The soft tissue, made up of ligaments, tendons and muscles, needs to be lengthened and remodeled to return full mobility of the joint.  Patient may lack extension (straightening) flexion (bending) supination (turning forearm, palm up) or pronation (turning forearm, palm down.)  In conjunction with physical therapy, the low-load, prolonged-duration stretch of dynamic splinting can help regain elbow ROM while the patient is at rest. What to expect with an Elbow Fracture? Check this out: Elbow Fracture-What To Expect