Elbow hemiarthroplasty effective in short-term for elderly patients

Burkhart KJ, et al. J Trauma. 2011. doi: 10.1097/TA.0b013e318216936e

Elbow hemiarthroplasty yields good to excellent short-term clinical outcomes in an elderly population, according to German researchers.

Although the team experienced a high complication rate, they noted these complications were minor and their overall reoperation rate was low.

The team treated 10 female patients with a mean age of 75.2 years with elbow hemiarthroplasty (HA) for early failed distal humerus fracture osteosynthesis or osteoporotic, comminuted distal humerus fractures. The Mayo Elbow Performance Score and the Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder, and Hand score were used to examine patients with a mean follow-up of 12.1 months, with postoperative outcomes being assessed through radiographs of the anteroposterior and lateral views.

Nine patients were found to have achieved good to excellent results when assessed with the Mayo Elbow Performance Score, with one patient receiving a fair result. Mean Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder, and Hand score was found to be 11.5 among the cohort.

According to the study abstract, mean flexion of the affected elbows was 124.5°, extension deficit was 17.5°, pronation was 80.5° and supination was 79.5°. Complications included triceps weakness, transient ulnar nerve irritation, superficial wound infection and heterotopic ossifications.

“As cartilage wear is just a question of time especially in active patients, we cautiously recommend HA only for elderly and multimorbid low-demand patients,” the authors wrote.