Abstract
Using the posterolateral approach (Tsuge's method), we can obtain wide exposure for arthroplasty of the elbow joint.
We performed this surgery for 4 cases of osteoarthrosis (OA) and 5 cases of rheumatoid arthritis (RA), and evaluated post-operative clinical results by Japanese Orthopaedic Association score (JOA score). The average duration of follow-up was 11.8 months.
The average JOA score improved from 49.0 to 69.5 in the OA cases and from 44.0 to 69.4 in the RA cases. There were a few unsatisfactory results among the OA cases due to instability secondary to splitting of the lateral collateral ligament and overuse after returning to work. In the series, all RA cases were late stage and relief of pain allowed improvement in refine. We considered arthroplasty effective for late stage RA.
