Radiocapitellar prosthetic arthroplasty in traumatic and post-traumatic complex lesions of the elbow

Radiocapitellar prosthetic arthroplasty is a fascinating new option in the treatment of complex lesions of the elbow. The device has been developed in order to treat primitive and post-traumatic radiocapitellar degenerative arthritis, while preserving the ulnohumeral joint of the elbow. Compared to a radial head resection, it avoids valgus and axial instability of the elbow and forearm preventing ulnohumeral degeneration. Seven patients have been reviewed with a mean of follow-up of 40 months. Two of them presented with an acute trauma and five of them with a post-traumatic degenerative arthritis involving the radial compartment of the elbow. The patients’ evaluation was performed using DASH and Mayo elbow performance score (MEPS). Implant overstuffing, loosening and degenerative changes of the ulnohumeral joint have been monitored with X-ray controls. All patients presented with a marked improvement in elbow function, no signs of overstuffing or ulnohumeral degeneration were observed. Two patients developed a clinically asymptomatic aseptic loosening of the radial press-fit stem. The radiocapitellar prosthetic arthroplasty shows convincing results in the treatment of symptomatic radiocapitellar degenerative arthritis. It has also been effective in acute trauma scenarios in the presence of major osteoarticular wearing or loss of the entire radiocapitellar joint.