Operative treatment of nonunions about the elbow

Nonunions about the elbow present a great challenge to the orthopaedic surgeon. Recent advances have enabled the surgeon to achieve much improved results. The current study outlines the treatment of nonunions of the distal humerus, proximal ulna (including olecranon, Monteggia, and coronoid nonunions), and radial head and neck nonunions. The historic problems of treating these nonunions included the use of inadequate fixation, the poor understanding of the role of soft tissue surgery in the treatment of the stiff elbow, and the failure of previous postoperative rehabilitation protocols. Advances made in the techniques of soft tissue treatment, modern methods of stable internal fixation, and early postoperative rehabilitation all have made an exceptional difference in the surgeon's ability to treat these most complex problems. The current study will provide the reader with a greater understanding of nonunions about the elbow, clinical and technical details for their treatment, and the expected results after treatment.