title: Arthroscopic elbow joint release with radial head resection arthroplasty: 12 cases.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Elbow arthritis typically affects manual labourers aged 40 to 50 years and usually starts in the lateral compartment. The objective of this study was to evaluate the medium-term clinical, functional, and radiological outcomes in 12 patients after arthroscopic elbow joint release and radial head resection arthroplasty.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  Our main hypothesis was that pre-operative damage to the radio-capitellar joint was associated with poorer clinical outcomes after elbow joint release.
  
  
  METHODS
  Consecutive patients treated by a single surgeon at a single centre between July 2006 and May 2014 were studied retrospectively. The 12 patients - 10 males and 2 females with a mean age of 54.5±9.3 years (33-69 years) - had osteoarthritis confined to the radio-capitellar compartment with elbow stiffness and pain and underwent arthroscopic elbow joint release with radial head resection arthroplasty. Among them, 9 had a history of trauma or micro-trauma and 3 had rheumatoid arthritis. The Broberg and Morrey osteoarthritis grade on the pre-operative radiographs was 1 in 4 patients, 2 in 6 patients, and 3 in 2 patients.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Mean follow-up was 38.1±33.7 months (5-97). One patient required total elbow arthroplasty. Mean arc of motion was 79.6°±20.5° (30-110) pre-operatively, 123.6±18° (90-140) immediately after surgery, and 109°±11.7° (90-120) at last follow-up. At last follow-up, mean values were 81.4±12.5 (65-100) for the Mayo Elbow Score, 11.1±11.1 (2.3-31.8) for the Quick DASH score, and 1.1±1.6 (0-4) for the visual analogue scale pain score. The radiological assessment at last follow-up showed no evidence of osteoarthritis progression.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In our case-series, arthroscopic elbow joint release with radial head resection arthroplasty produced good outcomes with a motion arc greater than 100° and little or no pain after a mean follow-up of 3.1 years.
  
  
  METHODS
  IV, retrospective study.
authors: Centre de chirurgie orthopedique et de la main, 10, avenue Achille-Baumann, 67400 Illkirch-Graffenstaden, France.
authors: B Chedal
authors: BC
authors: Bornu
authors: Centre de chirurgie orthopedique et de la main, 10, avenue Achille-Baumann, 67400 Illkirch-Graffenstaden, France.
authors: X
authors: X
authors: Clément
authors: Centre de chirurgie orthopedique et de la main, 10, avenue Achille-Baumann, 67400 Illkirch-Graffenstaden, France.
authors: J F
authors: JF
authors: Kempf
authors: Centre de chirurgie orthopedique et de la main, 10, avenue Achille-Baumann, 67400 Illkirch-Graffenstaden, France. Electronic address: philippe.clavert@chru-strasbourg.fr.
authors: P
authors: P
authors: Clavert
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D057929:Arthroplasty, Replacement, Elbow / Q000379:methods*; D001182:Arthroscopy / Q000379:methods*; D004551:Elbow Joint / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010003:Osteoarthritis / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D011884:Radius / Q000601:surgery*; D016059:Range of Motion, Articular; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D000092464:Elbow Injuries
keywords: Elbow arthroscopy; Radial head; Radio-capitellar arthritis; Radio-humeral arthroplasty