Total elbow arthroplasty under unfavourable soft tissue conditions.

<bold>Purpose: </bold>To evaluate the clinical and radiographic outcomes of patients with total elbow arthroplasty (TEA) and soft tissue reconstruction.<bold>Methods: </bold>We investigated six patients who underwent TEA and soft tissue reconstruction (two elbows with 1-stage surgery and four elbows with 2-stage surgery). The mean patient age at the time of the surgical procedure was 43.2 years; the mean follow-up duration was 88.2 months.<bold>Results: </bold>The mean pain visual analogue scale (VAS) during motion was improved from 6.3 pre-operatively to 0.7 at the last follow-up. The mean Mayo Elbow Performance Score (MEPS) improved from 26.7 pre-operatively to 81.7 at the last follow-up. The mean flexion-extension arcs of the 1- and 2-stage surgery groups increased from 12.5° and 13.8° pre-operatively to 72.5° and 100° at the last follow-up, respectively. The mean MEPS of the one and two stage surgery groups were 75 and 85, respectively, at the last follow-up. One of the six elbows had loosening on the simple radiograph at the last follow-up, and there were no cases with bushing wear. Three elbows needed additional skin debridement owing to wound complications (2/2 elbows in the 1-stage surgery group and 1/4 elbows in the 2-stage surgery group).<bold>Conclusions: </bold>Under unfavorable soft tissue conditions, performing soft tissue reconstruction with TEA provides satisfactory functional improvement and pain relief. The two stage surgery provided a lower rate of wound complication and better elbow function than the one stage surgery, which led to high patient satisfaction post-operatively.<bold>Level Of Evidence: </bold>Therapeutic Level IV. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]