title: RESULTS FROM BI-CONTACT(®) TOTAL ELBOW ARTHROPLASTY: MULTICENTER STUDY.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To describe the initial experience of four orthopedic clinics from using Bi-Contact(®) total elbow arthroplasty (TEA), reporting the results and complications of the procedure.
  
  
  METHODS
  This was a retrospective study, through analysis on the medical records of patients who underwent primary TEA using a prosthesis model developed in conjunction with IOT-HCFMUSP. Forty-six elbows (45 patients) that were operated at four orthopedic clinics between 2000 and 2009 were evaluated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The majority of the patients were female (74%), and the median age was 62.5 years. The diagnoses encountered were trauma sequelae (47.83%), rheumatoid arthritis (32.61%), primary osteoarthrosis (8.7%), acute fractures (6.52%) and heterotopic ossification (2.17%). The median length of follow-up was 2.08 years (0.25-9). The procedure significantly alleviated pain and improved range of motion. It was observed that at least one complication was present in 69.57% of the cases, and the main ones were infection (28.26%), need for revision (28.26%), intraoperative fracture (15.22%) and aseptic loosening (15.22%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Bi-Contact(®) TEA provided significant alleviation of pain and improvement of range of motion in the present series. The complication rate was high, and the most frequently observed complications were infection, aseptic loosening and intraoperative fracture.
authors.affiliation: Attending Physician in the Shoulder and Elbow Group, Institute of Orthopedics and Traumatology, HC/FMUSP, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Eduardo
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Benegas
authors.affiliation: Attending Physician in the Shoulder and Elbow Group, Institute of Orthopedics and Traumatology, HC/FMUSP, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Eduardo Angeli
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Malavolta
authors.affiliation: Attending Physician in the Shoulder and Elbow Group, Institute of Orthopedics and Traumatology, HC/FMUSP, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Mauro Emilio Conforto
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Gracitelli
authors.affiliation: Attending Physician in the Orthopedics and Traumatology Service, Dr. José Frota Institute, Fortaleza, CE, Brazil.
authors.forename: Augusto Tadeu Barros
authors.initials: AT
authors.lastname: de Sousa
authors.affiliation: Head of the Shoulder and Elbow Group, Department of Orthopedics and Traumatology, "Fernandinho Simonsen" Wing, Santa Casa de Misericórdia de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Alberto Naoki
authors.initials: AN
authors.lastname: Miyazaki
authors.affiliation: Attending Physician in the Shoulder and Elbow Group, Department of Orthopedics and Traumatology, "Fernandinho Simonsen" Wing, Santa Casa de Misericòrdia de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Marcelo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fregoneze
authors.affiliation: Head of the Shoulder and Elbow Group, ABC School of Medicine, and Ipiranga State Hospital, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Roberto Yukio
authors.initials: RY
authors.lastname: Ikemoto
authors.affiliation: Attending Physician in the Shoulder and Elbow Group, ABC School of Medicine, and Ipiranga State Hospital, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Joel
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Murachovsky
authors.affiliation: Head of the Shoulder and Elbow Group, Department of Orthopedics and Traumatology, São Paulo Medical School, UNIFESP, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Marcelo Hide
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Matsumoto
authors.affiliation: Attending Physician in the Shoulder and Elbow Group, Department of Orthopedics and Traumatology, São Paulo Medical School, UNIFESP, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Marcel Jun Sugawara
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Tamaoki
authors.affiliation: Head of the Shoulder and Elbow Group, Institute of Orthopedics and Traumatology, HC/FMUSP, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Arnaldo Amado Ferreira
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Neto
keywords: Arthroplasty; Elbow/injuries; Elbow/surgery; Retrospective Studies