Search

Background: Venous thromboembolism (VTE) complications, including deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism, are dreaded complications of orthopaedic surgical procedures that can result in substantial morbidity and mortality. There is a paucity of data examining risk factors for VTE in shoulder arthroplasty. The purpose of the present study was to review the rate of symptomatic VTE, determine patient and operative risk factors for VTE, and report on complications associated with VTE following shoulder arthroplasty.Methods: Over a 16-year period, 5,906 patients underwent primary anatomic total shoulder arthroplasty, reverse total shoulder arthroplasty, or hemiarthroplasty. Symptomatic VTE events were identified in 24 shoulders within 90 days of surgery. Patient records were reviewed for surgical indication, patient and operative risk factors, and management of VTE.Results: The rate of symptomatic VTE following shoulder arthroplasty was 0.41%. There were no deaths resulting from VTE events. Compared with patients who did not have VTE, those with symptomatic VTE events were found to be older (74.75 versus 68.51 years; p = 0.0028) and more likely to have had arthroplasty for a traumatic indication (3.31% versus 0.33%; p < 0.001). Age of >70 years and arthroplasty for a traumatic indication were found to be independent risk factors on multivariate nominal logistic regression analysis, whereas body mass index, sex, operative time, and type of arthroplasty performed were not found to be independent risk factors. There were 11 readmissions resulting directly from the VTE events, and patients diagnosed with VTE as inpatients had longer hospital stays than outpatients (13.71 versus 1.94 days; p = 0.0002).Conclusions: The risk of VTE following shoulder arthroplasty is low, and routine use of pharmacologic VTE prophylaxis may not be necessary. However, VTE complications can lead to substantial morbidity, longer hospital stays, readmission to the hospital, and further complications. Therefore, patients with multiple risk factors for VTE such as prior history of VTE, active malignancy, age of >70 years, or arthroplasty for traumatic indications should be considered for pharmacologic VTE prophylaxis.Level Of Evidence: Therapeutic Level IV. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Limited information exists related to the treatment of periprosthetic fractures of the ulna after semiconstrained elbow arthroplasty. Our goals were to characterize the clinical and radiographic features of periprosthetic fractures around the stem of a loose ulnar component and to determine the outcomes after surgical treatment. Methods: Between 1980 and 2008, thirty consecutive periprosthetic fractures around the ulnar stem were treated surgically at our institution. Eighteen fractures occurred after primary arthroplasty, and twelve occurred after revision arthroplasty. The mean time between the index arthroplasty and the fracture was eight years. All ulnar components were loose. Ulnar bone loss was moderate in fourteen elbows and severe in sixteen. Surgical reconstruction included revision of the ulnar component in all cases. Fracture fixation was achieved with a longer stemmed implant only in two elbows. Strut allografts were used in twenty elbows, with additional impaction graft augmentation in eight of them. Three additional elbows were revised with impaction grafting alone, and five were reconstructed with an allograft ulnar prosthetic composite. Seven patients were lost to follow-up, one died, and one was managed with conversion to a resection arthroplasty following a deep infection. The remaining twenty-one patients were followed for a mean of 4.9 ± 2.6 years. Results: At the time of the most recent follow-up, eighteen patients reported no pain or mild pain and three patients reported moderate pain. The mean arc of elbow flexion and extension was 112°. The Mayo Elbow Performance Score was 82 points (with fifteen good or excellent results and six fair or poor results). Fracture-healing was achieved in the twenty-one followed patients. Complications included three deep infections, one superficial infection, one case of ulnar component loosening, and one case of transient dysfunction of both the median and radial nerves. Conclusions: Periprosthetic ulnar fractures around the stem of a loose ulnar component after total elbow arthroplasty usually combine implant loosening and severe bone loss. Revision of the ulnar component may require additional strut allografts, allograft-prosthetic composites, or impaction grafting. Satisfactory outcomes were seen after the majority of revisions; however, deep infections and component loosening continue to be serious complications. Level of Evidence: Therapeutic Level IV. See Instructions to Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Elbow resection is a salvage procedure typically considered as a last resort in the case of refractory infection following total elbow arthroplasty. The goal of this study was to evaluate the long-term outcome of patients following resection arthroplasty for the treatment of a failed total elbow replacement.Methods: Between 1975 and 2005, fifty-one consecutive elbows (fifty patients) were treated with resection for a deep infection following total elbow arthroplasty with either linked or unlinked implants. The average age at the time of arthroplasty was fifty-two years, and the average age at the time of elbow resection arthroplasty was fifty-nine years. Twenty-nine patients (thirty elbows) were contacted at an average of eleven years (range, 2.7 to twenty-eight years) postoperatively, and their outcomes were graded with use of the Mayo Elbow Performance Score and the Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand (DASH) score. The remaining twenty patients (twenty-one elbows) had either died (sixteen elbows) or declined follow-up (five elbows) and so were included only in the analysis of complications and early outcome.Results: Elbow resection resulted in an improvement in the Mayo Elbow Performance Score, from a preoperative value of 37 points to a final follow-up value of 60 points (a poor to fair result) for the twenty-nine patients contacted at long term (p < 0.05). Most of the increase in the Mayo Elbow Performance Score resulted from improvements in the pain component of the score. Of the thirty elbows in patients who had been followed long term, eight had good results; eleven, fair results; and eleven, poor results. The DASH score averaged 71 points (range, 51 to 91 points). Complications were common and included infections in twenty-four elbows (47%), intraoperative fractures in eighteen (35%), and permanent nerve injury in nine elbows (18%). Stability after resection correlated with a better long-term Mayo Elbow Performance Score (p < 0.05).Conclusions: Resection arthroplasty is a salvage option in patients with refractory infection after a total elbow arthroplasty and should be considered only when all other attempts to eradicate the infection have failed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The best surgical treatment for a patient with rheumatoid arthritis and an acute distal humeral fracture is not well established. Because of the distorted anatomy of the arthritic elbow joint and the adjacent osteoporotic bone, total elbow arthroplasty may be favored over open reduction and internal fixation in these patients. We retrospectively analyzed a series of patients with rheumatoid arthritis in whom an acute distal humeral fracture had been treated with either open reduction and internal fixation or total elbow arthroplasty; our purpose was to evaluate their outcomes and to identify any influence of age, fracture type, or the extent of the rheumatoid involvement of the elbow joint on the choice of procedure. Methods: Between 1982 and 2002, an acute distal humeral fracture was treated surgically in sixteen elbows in fourteen patients with rheumatoid arthritis, and the results were retrospectively reviewed at a minimum of twenty-four months postoperatively. Six elbows were treated with open reduction and internal fixation (Group 1) and ten elbows, with primary total elbow arthroplasty (Group 2). Postoperatively, the elbows were examined with standard radiographs, and the clinical outcome was assessed with the Mayo Elbow Performance Score (MEPS). Results: Six patients (six elbows) died before the time of the study, but they had been followed for more than twenty-four months and therefore were included in the series. The eight patients (ten elbows) who were still alive were examined. The mean duration of follow-up was forty-nine months in Group land sixty-six months in Group 2. The MEPS averaged 93 points in Group land 96 points in Group 2. Radiographically, all fractures had healed uneventfully in Group land no prosthesis was loose in Group 2. We could not identify any difference between Groups 1 and 2 with respect to patient age, fracture type, or extent of the rheumatoid arthritis. Conclusions: Distal humeral fractures in patients with rheumatoid arthritis can be treated successfully with immediate open reduction and internal fixation or with total elbow arthroplasty. Our data suggest that open reduction and internal fixation can be successful when there is mild arthritic involvement. We favor total elbow arthroplasty for patients with severe articular involvement. Level of Evidence: Therapeutic Level IV. See Instructions to Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The best approach for treatment of infection after total elbow arthroplasty is not clearly defined. The purpose of this study was to report our experience with reimplantation of a total elbow prosthesis following a prior resection arthroplasty to treat infection. Methods: Between 1976 and 2003 at our institution, twenty-nine patients were treated with reimplantation of a total elbow prosthesis after a prior resection arthroplasty following a deep periprosthetic infection. Eleven of the twenty-nine patients had had at least one procedure performed on the elbow prior to the primary arthroplasty. The mean time interval between the resection arthroplasty and the reimplantation was 72.5 weeks. Patients were followed for an average of 7.4 years after the reimplantation. All patients were assessed clinically, and their medical records were retrospectively reviewed. Results: The mean total Mayo Elbow Performance Score (MEPS) was 35.5 points (range, 15 to 60 points) before the reimplantation and 66.3 points (range, 20 to 100 points) postoperatively (p < 0.001). The most common infecting organism was Staphylococcus epidermidis, which was present in thirteen (45%) of the twenty-nine elbows, followed by methicillin-sensitive Staphylococcus aureus, which was present in seven (24%). The infection was not eradicated in eight elbows (28%). Conclusions: Reimplantation of a total elbow prosthesis after a prior resection arthroplasty is a reasonable option for the treatment of infection. Improvement in function can be expected in most patients. However, the chance of the infection recurring and requiring additional revision surgery is high. Level of Evidence: Therapeutic Level IV. See Instructions to Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Over the past decade, the indications for total elbow arthroplasty have increased. One complication that is well recognized but is poorly described in the literature is insufficiency of the extensor mechanism involving complete or partial rupture, or avulsion, of the triceps tendon. We therefore reviewed the records of patients who had undergone surgery for the treatment of triceps insufficiency following total elbow arthroplasty to determine the management options and outcomes of intervention for this problem. Methods: The records on 887 total elbow arthroplasties performed between 1982 and 2001 were assessed to identify patients who had undergone a subsequent procedure on the triceps. Patients in whom triceps insufficiency developed after d ébridement for infection were excluded, leaving sixteen elbows in fourteen patients. A Mayo Elbow Performance Score was calculated and elbow extension strength against gravity was measured at the time of final follow-up. Results: There were seven male and seven female patients. The mean age was fifty-four years. The mean duration of follow-up after the triceps reconstruction was sixty-seven months. Three basic techniques were used to repair or reconstruct the extensor mechanism; these included direct suture in seven elbows, anconeus rotation in four, and use of an Achilles tendon allograft in four. The capacity to extend against gravity was restored to fifteen of the sixteen elbows. According to the Mayo Elbow Performance Score, eleven elbows had an excellent outcome, three had a good outcome, and two were considered a clinical failure. Conclusions: In most patients with triceps insufficiency following total elbow arthroplasty, it is possible to reconstruct the triceps mechanism with a procedure appropriately selected on the basis of tissue quality, tendon retraction, and the status of the olecranon. Level of Evidence: Therapeutic Level IV. See Instructions to Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Articular wear is considered to be a possible long-term complication of the use of stemmed, coupled elbow replacements with the capacity to correct deformity and restore function. There have been no reports on this topic, to our knowledge. Methods: A review of the results of 919 replacements with the semiconstrained linked Coonrad­Morrey total elbow implant, performed between 1981 and 2000, revealed that twelve patients (1.3%) had undergone an isolated exchange of the articular bushings as a result of polyethylene wear. The status of these patients was assessed clinically and radiographically. Results: The mean age of the twelve patients at the time of the initial total elbow replacement was forty-four years compared with a mean age of sixty-two years in the overall group (p < 0.001). Seven of the twelve patients had posttraumatic arthritis, and five had rheumatoid arthritis. Nine patients had extensive deformity. The group consisted of seven women and five men, and ten patients had involvement of the right dominant elbow. The mean age at the bushing revision was fifty-two years, and the bushings were revised at an average of 7.9 years after implantation. All twelve patients reported pain, and five reported crepitus or a squeaking sound. None had extensive osteolysis. The mean duration of follow-up after the bushing exchange was sixty-five months. The mean arc of motion improved from 89° before the surgery to 109° after it. Three of the twelve patients underwent an additional articular revision at fifty-three, fifty-four, and 136 months after the initial bushing exchange. At the time of final follow-up, all twelve patients had functioning elbows. Conclusions: Isolated bushing exchange can be a successful revision procedure in patients with a semiconstrained linked total elbow prosthesis. Younger patients with a posttraumatic condition and/or severe pre-existing deformity are at greater risk for the development of excessive bushing wear. Patients should be cautioned against exceeding the recommended activity and lifting restrictions. Level of Evidence: Therapeutic Level IV. See Instructions to Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Interposition arthroplasty is an option for the treatment of arthritis of the elbow. Conversion to a total elbow arthroplasty can be considered later, when the patient reaches a suitable age. We investigated the results of conversion of an interpositional elbow arthroplasty to a semiconstrained total elbow arthroplasty in a series of patients. Methods: The results of twelve consecutive linked semiconstrained total elbow arthroplasties in twelve patients who had had a prior interposition arthroplasty for the treatment of degenerative arthritis of the elbow were evaluated at an average of ten years postoperatively. The average age at the time of the total elbow arthroplasty was fifty years, and the average interval from the interposition arthroplasty to the total elbow arthroplasty was 9.9 years. Pain and elbow performance as measured with the Mayo Elbow Performance Score were assessed in a retrospective chart review and an evaluation of questionnaires, and postoperative radiographs were reviewed. Results: At the time of the latest follow-up, postoperative pain was rated as mild or none in ten of the twelve patients, and the result was rated as subjectively satisfactory in ten patients. The average Mayo Elbow Performance Score improved from 32.1 points (range, 10 to 70 points) preoperatively to 80.4 points (range, 40 to 100 points) postoperatively (p < 0.001). According to these objective criteria, there were three excellent, six good, one fair, and two poor results. All of the elbows were stable following the arthroplasty. Radiographs demonstrated a well-fixed prosthesis in all but one patient who had extensive osteolysis at the site of the humeral component. One other patient had radiographic evidence of bushing wear. Both of these patients required revision procedures. Conclusions: Semiconstrained total elbow arthroplasty can be performed successfully in patients with a prior interposition arthroplasty. Reliable pain relief and a satisfactory result can be achieved in most patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Revision total elbow arthroplasty is often undertaken in patients who have severe osteolysis of both the distal part of the humerus and the proximal part of the ulna. To deal with such bone loss, we have adopted the practice of impaction grafting, which has become a well-established technique in the proximal part of the femur. Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the results of twelve patients who had undergone revision total elbow arthroplasty with impaction grafting between 1993 and 1997. There were eight women and four men with a mean age of fifty-seven years. All patients were followed for at least two years (range, twenty-five to 113 months), with an average duration of follow-up of seventy-two months. Seven of the patients had an initial diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis, and five had posttraumatic arthritis. Impaction grafting was undertaken during the initial revision in three of the patients, whereas the remaining nine patients had undergone at least one prior revision without impaction grafting. Four patients had impaction grafting on the ulnar side alone, six had it on the humeral side alone, and two underwent impaction grafting of both the humerus and the ulna. Six allograft struts were placed to span structural defects in five patients. Results: At the time of the latest follow-up, eight of the elbow prostheses were intact after the index impaction grafting procedure. Two elbows had been revised because of loosening, and another had been revised because of a fracture of the ulnar component. A fourth patient had undergone a resection arthroplasty because of infection. The eight remaining patients demonstrated marked radiographic improvement in bone quality in the region of the impaction graft without clinical symptoms of loosening. At the time of the last follow-up, after an additional revision in three elbows, there were five excellent, four good, and three fair results. Conclusions: Impaction grafting is a reliable technique for treating osteolysis in patients undergoing revision total elbow arthroplasty; however, complications can occur, and a high percentage of patients need additional surgery. Level of Evidence: Therapeutic Level IV. See Instructions to Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Revision of a failed total elbow arthroplasty is a challenging procedure, often associated with bone deficiency. The purpose of this investigation was to review our experience with a composite allograft-implant reconstruction for patients with a failed total elbow arthroplasty. Methods: Thirteen patients (thirteen elbows) in whom a total elbow arthroplasty had failed, primarily as a result of loosening of the humeral or ulnar component, were operated on with use of an allograft-prosthesis composite; the composite was placed on the humeral side in four of these patients and on the ulnar side in nine. The delay between the last total elbow arthroplasty and the allograft-prosthesis-composite procedure averaged eight years. Results: At an average of forty-two months after the revision, the Mayo Elbow Performance Score was excellent for four elbows, good for three, fair for one, and poor for five. Nine of the thirteen patients had no or only slight pain in the elbow. The mean arc of flexion was 97°, with an average of 28°(range, O° to 60°) of extension to 125° (range, 100° to 140°) of flexion. There were seven complications affecting seven elbows, and five of the seven required a revision procedure. Deep infection developed in four elbows, and the allograft-prosthesis composite had to be removed from three. Two nonunions occurred at the allograft-humeral junction. Conclusions: An allograft-prosthesis composite can be a valuable option in selected patients with a failed total elbow arthroplasty with massive bone loss. The union and implant survival rates are high. Deep infection remains the main complication. Hence, we recommend the pursuit of other revision options, such as strut graft reconstruction, whenever possible before resorting to the use of an allograft-prosthesis composite in the surgical treatment of a failed total elbow arthroplasty with massive bone loss. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses hemophilic arthropathy. Hemophilic arthropathy most commonly affects the knee, with the elbow being the second most frequently involved joint. The recurrent intra-articular hemorrhages that cause this form of inflammatory arthropathy are a feature of severe hemophilia in which <1% of the normal clotting factor titers are present. Whereas total joint replacement is a well-documented treatment for hemophilic hip and knee arthropathy, there are very few reports of total elbow replacements in patients with hemophilia.

Background: Primary degenerative arthritis of the elbow is an uncommon disorder that recently has been more clearly recognized. The purpose of this study was to analyze the long-term results and complications of ulnohumeral arthroplasty as treatment of primary osteoarthritis of the elbow and to document any tendency for recurrence of the arthritis after the procedure.Methods: The results of ulnohumeral arthroplasties performed at our institution, between 1986 and 1996, in forty-six elbows (forty-five patients) with primary osteoarthritis were reviewed at an average of eighty months (range, twenty-four to 164 months) after the operation. There were forty-four men and one woman with a mean age of forty-eight years. All patients complained of pain with terminal elbow extension. The pain was associated with locking in fourteen elbows and with ulnar nerve symptoms in twelve. The surgical procedure involved fenestration of the olecranon fossa and excision of olecranon and coronoid osteophytes in all patients, with removal of loose bodies in thirty-six elbows. A capsular release was performed in nineteen elbows, and an ulnar nerve transposition or neurolysis was done in eight. Preoperative and follow-up assessment included evaluation of elbow pain and range of motion with the Mayo Elbow Performance Score.Results: The mean arc of flexion-extension improved from 79 degrees (range, 10 degrees to 135 degrees) preoperatively to 101 degrees (range, 45 degrees to 135 degrees) at the time of follow-up (p < 0.05). At the last follow-up examination, thirty-five elbows (76%) were not painful or were only mildly painful and eleven were moderately or severely painful. According to the Mayo Elbow Performance Score, the result was excellent for twenty-six elbows, good for eight, fair for four, and poor for eight. Thirteen of the forty-five patients reported some degree of ulnar nerve symptoms postoperatively, and six of them required another operation to decompress or translocate the nerve. Two other patients underwent additional surgery because of persistent symptoms.Conclusions: The data from this study show that ulnohumeral arthroplasty can yield satisfactory long-term pain relief and an increase in the range of motion. Patients with severe preoperative limitation of elbow extension of >60 degrees and flexion of <100 degrees and those who undergo manipulation under anesthesia in the early postoperative period to increase motion are at risk for the development of ulnar nerve dysfunction postoperatively. One should consider prophylactic ulnar nerve decompression or mobilization under these circumstances. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Chronic ruptures of the distal biceps tendon are uncommon and are complicated by the retraction and poor quality of the muscle and tendon. Surgical procedures that have been described for the treatment of this injury are limited by the quality and availability of the structures used for augmentation. The purpose of the present study was to describe the surgical technique for reconstruction of the tendon with an Achilles tendon allograft and to report our preliminary experience with this procedure. Methods: An Achilles tendon allograft was used to reconstruct a chronic rupture of the distal biceps tendon in four patients. The patients were evaluated with regard to subjective satisfaction, pain, range of motion, and strength in flexion and supination. The results were graded with use of the Mayo elbow performance score. Results: After an average duration of follow-up of 2.8 years (range, 2.0 to 3.7 years), all four patients had a satisfactory subjective result, a full range of motion, and an excellent Mayo elbow performance score. The strength of flexion and supination was comparable with that on the contralateral side in two patients and was slightly decreased in the other two. Conclusions: Reconstruction of chronic disruptions of the distal biceps tendon with an Achilles tendon allograft appears to offer a satisfactory technical solution for this challenging problem and has provided satisfactory clinical results to date. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]