Abstract
Purpose : The purpose of this study is to assess the effectiveness of the arthroscopic method in the stiffness of elbow after osteoarthritis or posttraumatic arthritis.
Materials and methods : In the time period January 1999 to December 2001, 11 patients with primary osteoarthritis and posttraumatic arthritis of the elbow were treated in our clinic with the arthroscopic method. All patients had stiffness and pain. Nine of them were men and two women with a mean age of 46 years (range 28–56 years). Average preoperative flexion was to 1150 (range 90 – 1400), and average extension loss was −250 (range 15 – 350). Mean follow-up was 30,3 months.
Results : The range of motion showed a progressive increase until 1 year after surgery. However, after 1 year, the range of motion showed little additional increase, especially in laborers. The range of motion acquired during surgery usually was the same range that patients achieved during the rehabilitation period. Average postoperative flexion was to 1380 (range 120 – 1430) and average extension was to 50 (range 0 – 120). The range of motion showed more improvement in patients whose duration of symptoms was less than 1 year than in those whose duration of symptoms was longer than 1 year. All patients had a significant decrease in pain and 5 of them complete relief of pain.
Conclusions : The arthroscopic surgery in the stiffness of elbow after osteoarthritis and posttraumatic arthritis is a minimally invasive procedure with significant results in range of motion and pain relief.
The abstracts were prepared by Eleni Koutsoukou. Correspondence should be addressed to him at the Hellenic Association of Orthopaedic Surgery and Traumatology (HAOST), 20, A. Fleming str, 15123 Marousi, Athens, Greece.
