Arthroscopic release may effectively treat degenerative, posttraumatic elbow contractures
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Patients with degenerative and posttraumatic elbow contracture may experience effective treatment with arthroscopic elbow contracture release for both flexion/extension and pronosupination contracture, according to published results.
Researchers recorded and analyzed basic patient demographics, indications for surgery, preoperative and postoperative elbow range of motion, postoperative patient outcome scores and all complications among 52 patients who underwent arthroscopic elbow contracture release between 2003 and 2015. Researchers categorized patients into two groups based on whether they had either a degenerative (n=22) or posttraumatic (n=30) contracture.
Results showed 50% of patients had severe contractures, 23% had moderate contractures and 27% had mild contractures. Researchers found an increase in average extension/flexion of approximately 63° in the posttraumatic group and 29° in the degenerative group. Patients in the posttraumatic group had an average gain in pronation/supination arc of motion of approximately 38° vs. 13° in the degenerative group, according to results. Researchers noted patients in the posttraumatic group had postoperative DASH scores of approximately 17.5 compared with 12.8 for patients in the degenerative group.
“Future prospective studies for arthroscopic elbow contracture release would benefit significantly from preoperative and postoperative patient outcome scores,” the authors wrote. “Lastly, arthroscopic elbow contracture release can be technically challenging and requires surgeon familiarity and comfort with elbow arthroscopy.”
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