Failed arthroplasty of the elbow

The elbow is an essential joint to position our hand in space and thus vital to be able to perform most basic daily activities. Therefore, it is important to restore elbow function after complex elbow fractures or sequalae of posttraumatic deformities. In selective trauma cases, when the fracture is considered not amenable to achieve the main goal of open reduction-internal fixation – a functional elbow – total or partial elbow arthroplasty can be an option. Functional outcomes after primary elbow arthroplasty are generally favorable, however the complication and revision rates remain relatively high and improvements to optimize outcomes could well be made.
Therefore, the general aim of this thesis was to improve the results of (failed) elbow arthroplasties, including the treatment of complex elbow trauma with arthroplasties. Part I focused on radial head arthroplasty (RHA) with specific interest in anatomy of the radial head, indications, diagnosis and management of revision surgery and the radiographic and clinical outcomes thereafter. In Part II, the focus was on total elbow arthroplasty (TEA); anatomy of the proximal ulna was studied in detail, analysis of global trends on indications for primary and revision surgery of TEA was done and radiographic and clinical outcomes after revision surgery were assessed.