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Results of Total Elbow Arthroplasty after Excision of the Radial Head and Synovectomy in Patients Who Had Rheumatoid Arthritis.

Schemitsch, Thornhill·J Bone Joint Surg Am·1996·55 citations·Shoulder & Elbow
DOI·PubMed
SummaryAbstract on PubMed →

This matched retrospective cohort compares capitellocondylar total elbow arthroplasty in rheumatoid patients after a failed radial head excision and synovectomy versus primary arthroplasty. It asks whether prior elbow-preserving surgery compromises the results of later total elbow replacement. All 46 elbows used the same unconstrained implant at one institution, matched for age, gender, side, follow-up, and approach.

Study Snapshot

Design
Matched retrospective cohort
Setting: Two affiliated Boston hospitals, 1975-1990
Funding: None
Objective
Whether prior radial head excision and synovectomy worsens results of subsequent total elbow arthroplasty in rheumatoid arthritis
Outcome(s)
100-point elbow rating score at follow-up
Subjects
46 elbows
  • 46Rheumatoid patients
  • 23Per group
Inclusion
  • Rheumatoid arthritis of the elbow
  • Capitellocondylar total elbow arthroplasty
  • Intractable pain, limited motion, joint destruction
Exclusion
  • Prior elbow surgery other than radial head excision/synovectomy
Follow-up
Average 4 years (range 2 to 14)
Statistics
Unpaired t testChi-square

Key Findings

  • The overall elbow score improved less after prior failed excision: Group 1 went from 21 to 87 points while primary arthroplasty went from 22 to 94 points (p < 0.03). Primary replacement also gave significantly better pain relief (p < 0.05) and function (p < 0.01).
  • Component instability occurred only in the failed-excision group: 6 of 23 patients (3 dislocations, 2 subluxations, 1 condylar shift) versus 0 of 23 after primary arthroplasty (p < 0.009). Instability is the defining complication of operating on a previously altered soft-tissue envelope.
  • Reoperation was needed only after failed excision: 4 of 23 required a secondary procedure (3 revisions, 1 ligament reconstruction with ulnar nerve transposition) versus 0 of 23 primary elbows (p < 0.04).
  • The posterior approach was risky in these elbows: 2 of the 4 elbows exposed posteriorly became unstable, attributed to greater exposure and injury risk to the medial collateral ligament. The authors favor a lateral (modified Kocher) exposure.
  • The interval from radial head excision to arthroplasty averaged 6 years (range 1 to 18), so failed conversions occur years later, not early.
  • Radiolucent lines were more common in
    Group 1(2 humeral, 7 ulnar) than
    Group 2(1 humeral, 2 ulnar), and nearly all ulnar lines clustered at the trochlear notch. Most were 1 mm or less and non-progressive.
Board PearlPrior radial head excision and synovectomy makes later unconstrained total elbow arthroplasty less stable and less durable than primary arthroplasty in rheumatoid patients.

Clinical Relevance

When you convert a previously operated rheumatoid elbow to an unconstrained total elbow, expect a less stable and less durable result than a primary replacement.

The mechanism is soft-tissue imbalance: removing the radial head takes away the lateral buttress and lets the radius migrate proximally, while medial gutter scarring shortens the medial collateral ligament. Those adhesions can feel stable in the OR, then stretch and produce late instability.

Practical rules from this paper: clear the medial gutter to restore MCL length, avoid a full anterior capsulotomy, and accept no more than 1 to 2 mm of distraction on trial at 90 degrees with the forearm pronated. Have a semiconstrained implant available. If you cannot achieve stability after balancing, or bone stock is poor, use the more constrained device.

For low-demand elderly rheumatoid patients, consider primary arthroplasty; for younger patients, preserve the collateral ligaments so future reconstruction stays possible.

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Results of Total Elbow Arthroplasty after Excision of the Radial Head and Synovectomy in Patients Who Had Rheumatoid Arthritis.

Schemitsch, Thornhill·J Bone Joint Surg Am·1996·55 citations·Shoulder & Elbow
DOI·PubMed
SummaryAbstract on PubMed →

This matched retrospective cohort compares capitellocondylar total elbow arthroplasty in rheumatoid patients after a failed radial head excision and synovectomy versus primary arthroplasty. It asks whether prior elbow-preserving surgery compromises the results of later total elbow replacement. All 46 elbows used the same unconstrained implant at one institution, matched for age, gender, side, follow-up, and approach.

Study Snapshot

Design
Matched retrospective cohort
Setting: Two affiliated Boston hospitals, 1975-1990
Funding: None
Objective
Whether prior radial head excision and synovectomy worsens results of subsequent total elbow arthroplasty in rheumatoid arthritis
Outcome(s)
100-point elbow rating score at follow-up
Subjects
46 elbows
  • 46Rheumatoid patients
  • 23Per group
Inclusion
  • Rheumatoid arthritis of the elbow
  • Capitellocondylar total elbow arthroplasty
  • Intractable pain, limited motion, joint destruction
Exclusion
  • Prior elbow surgery other than radial head excision/synovectomy
Follow-up
Average 4 years (range 2 to 14)
Statistics
Unpaired t testChi-square

Key Findings

  • The overall elbow score improved less after prior failed excision: Group 1 went from 21 to 87 points while primary arthroplasty went from 22 to 94 points (p < 0.03). Primary replacement also gave significantly better pain relief (p < 0.05) and function (p < 0.01).
  • Component instability occurred only in the failed-excision group: 6 of 23 patients (3 dislocations, 2 subluxations, 1 condylar shift) versus 0 of 23 after primary arthroplasty (p < 0.009). Instability is the defining complication of operating on a previously altered soft-tissue envelope.
  • Reoperation was needed only after failed excision: 4 of 23 required a secondary procedure (3 revisions, 1 ligament reconstruction with ulnar nerve transposition) versus 0 of 23 primary elbows (p < 0.04).
  • The posterior approach was risky in these elbows: 2 of the 4 elbows exposed posteriorly became unstable, attributed to greater exposure and injury risk to the medial collateral ligament. The authors favor a lateral (modified Kocher) exposure.
  • The interval from radial head excision to arthroplasty averaged 6 years (range 1 to 18), so failed conversions occur years later, not early.
  • Radiolucent lines were more common in
    Group 1(2 humeral, 7 ulnar) than
    Group 2(1 humeral, 2 ulnar), and nearly all ulnar lines clustered at the trochlear notch. Most were 1 mm or less and non-progressive.
Board PearlPrior radial head excision and synovectomy makes later unconstrained total elbow arthroplasty less stable and less durable than primary arthroplasty in rheumatoid patients.

Clinical Relevance

When you convert a previously operated rheumatoid elbow to an unconstrained total elbow, expect a less stable and less durable result than a primary replacement.

The mechanism is soft-tissue imbalance: removing the radial head takes away the lateral buttress and lets the radius migrate proximally, while medial gutter scarring shortens the medial collateral ligament. Those adhesions can feel stable in the OR, then stretch and produce late instability.

Practical rules from this paper: clear the medial gutter to restore MCL length, avoid a full anterior capsulotomy, and accept no more than 1 to 2 mm of distraction on trial at 90 degrees with the forearm pronated. Have a semiconstrained implant available. If you cannot achieve stability after balancing, or bone stock is poor, use the more constrained device.

For low-demand elderly rheumatoid patients, consider primary arthroplasty; for younger patients, preserve the collateral ligaments so future reconstruction stays possible.

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