title: Comminuted Fracture of Elbow - Ostheosynthesis vs. Total Joint Replacement.
abstract: Comminuted fractures of the elbow are very rare and in most cases very complex and the successful treatment can be a challenge for the treating surgeon. Due to the elbow joint's complex functional anatomy, the multi-fragmentary nature of many fractures and concomitant destabilizing associated injuries, comminuted fractures of the elbow still present a serious challenge for the orthopedic surgeon. Especially in more severe communicated injuries an osteosynthesis or endoprosthesis must be discussed with the patient. There is a lack of clear treatment recommendations based on solid evidence. An overview of the literature including a treatment algorithm to guide decision making for the distal humeral fracture in the adults is presented and own results are analyzed. Key words: comminuted fracture of elbow, total joint replacement of the elbow, elbow prosthesis, elbow arthroplasty, distal humeral fracture.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedic and Trauma Surgery, University of Freiburg Medical Centre, Germany.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zwingmann
authors.forename: M V
authors.initials: MV
authors.lastname: Neumann
authors.forename: T O
authors.initials: TO
authors.lastname: Hammer
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Reising
authors.forename: N P
authors.initials: NP
authors.lastname: Südkamp
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D057929:Arthroplasty, Replacement, Elbow / Q000379:methods*; D000066491:Clinical Decision-Making; D004550:Elbow / Q000601:surgery; D019317:Evidence-Based Medicine; D005593:Fracture Fixation, Internal / Q000379:methods*; D018460:Fractures, Comminuted / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D000092464:Elbow Injuries