The W.O. Frohring Family Resource Center
Part of Rainbow Babies and Children’s Hospital, this center has a resource library with information on parenting, breastfeeding, sibling relationships and much more. Materials may be borrowed for a limited time within the hospital, and copying services are available.
Patients who have recently given birth at MacDonald Women’s Hospital find the library to be an excellent source on topics relating to newborns and their parents. The Frohring Family Resource Center supports a caring and effective partnership between families and their healthcare team by providing general assistance on baby care and health-related issues. You can learn more about the Center on the Rainbow Babies & Children’s Hospital website. Community residents are also welcome to visit or call the center for information.
Health Encyclopedia
Carrying angle of the elbow - excessive
Elbow carrying angle - excessive; Excessive carrying angle of the elbow; Cubitus valgus
With the arms extended at the sides and the palms facing forward, the forearm and hands are normally slightly away from the body. This is the normal "carrying angle" of the elbow, which is 5 to 15 degrees. This angle permits the forearms to clear the hips in swinging movements during walking, and is important when carrying objects.
After certain fractures of the elbow, the carrying angle of the healed arm may increase, causing the arms to stick out too much from the body. This is called an excessive carrying angle. Or, the angle may be decreased so that the arm points toward the body, creating what is called a "gunstock deformity."
Because the carrying angle varies from person to person, it is important to compare one elbow with the other when evaluating a problem with the carrying angle.
Review Date:
8/11/2009
Reviewd By:
David C. Dugdale, III, MD, Professor of Medicine, Division of General Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Washington School of Medicine. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.