Abstract
Elbow plasty with the radio-posterior approach was performed under the macroscopic observation on 9 primary severe osteoarthritic elbows, 8 joints in 7 male patients and 1 in a female. Ages ranged from 48 to 73, with an average of 57.6.
All joints showed remarkable degenerative changes where the cartilage was eroded, and the subchondral bone was exposed in the humero-radial joints. These changes were shown to be well obviated by the air arthrogram radial oblique view and the lateral tomogram on the double contrast arthrogram.
Our results suggest that the humero-radial change is related to the compressive and shearing force caused by the severe valgus deformity and heavy work, and that the primary osteoarthritic elbow started at the humero-radial joint.
