Elbow surgery for osteoarthritis improves movement

Functionality of the elbow does improve after surgical intervention to tackle osteoarthritis, says a large review of the literature. A Canadian research team looked at 26 studies and published their findings in Arthritis.

The success of three techniques was analysed and all three led to improvement in pain, improved motion and functional recovery in the short and medium-term. Long-term results were available for a procedure called open joint debridement and showed X-ray evidence of some recurrence of osteoarthritic with minimal loss of motion.

“Open and arthroscopic joint debridement can improve function in patients with moderate-to-severe osteoarthritis of the elbow,” says Dr Joshua Vincent. “Total elbow arthroplasty is reserved for treating severe joint destruction, mostly for elderly individuals with low physical demands when other intervention options have failed.”

Primary osteoarthritis of the elbow affects about 2% of the population and results in pain and reduced motion. More men are affected than women.

The scientists involved in the current review highlight that there is an urgent need for more trails to measure the success of elbow surgery.