Total Elbow Replacement as an Alternative to Severely Comminuted Fractures around the Elbow

Abstract

BACKGROUND Intra-articular elbow fractures are considered to be one of the most complex injuries in orthopedic trauma. Some are too comminuted for open reduction and internal fixation. Recently, total elbow replacement (TER) has gained popularity for the treatment of comminuted elbow trauma when other treatment options are not possible. METHODS Since 2007-2013 we treated 18 patients with TER due to comminuted distal humeral fractures. We used the Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand scoring system (DASH) to evaluate the patient's satisfaction. In addition we evaluated the elbow range of motion and collateral stability. CONCLUSIONS Functional range of motion was achieved with high patient satisfaction. Based on the results we conclude that TER is a reasonable option for complex elbow fractures when open reduction and internal fixation is not suitable.