What is it about?
Complicated elbow fractures in elderly patients are sometimes treated with a prosthetic joint replacement because the combination of a complex fracture and fragile skeleton may make conventional treatment methods inadequate. An elbow prosthesis usually requires the entire joint to be replaced. We have, in a few cases, demonstrated that a prostehtic replacement of only the fractured parts of the distal upper arm appears sufficient for a good outcome. This method seems to allow full load and weight bearing of the joint, something that is usually adviced against following a traditional elbow joint replacement.
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Why is it important?
Future research evaluating the method may disclose if the technique could also be feasible for younger patients with complex elbow fractures, allowing full loading of the injured joint. Today prosthetic replacement is usually not an alternative due to load restrictions and relatively short implant survival.
Perspectives
The publication can hopefully inspire to future research investigating the option of hemiprosthesis for different pathologies affecting the elbow joint.
Professor Lars E Adolfsson
Universitetssjukhuset i Linkoping
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Elbow hemiarthroplasty for acute reconstruction of intraarticular distal humerus fractures: A preliminary report involving 4 patients, Acta Orthopaedica, January 2006, Taylor & Francis,
DOI: 10.1080/17453670610012999.
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