Posttraumatic contracture of the elbow: current management issues

Posttraumatic elbow stiffness can impose severe functional limitations on the performance of activities of daily living. Prevention is key to avoiding a motion-limiting condition. Fractures should be anatomically reduced and stabilized with active and active-assisted range of motion exercises instituted as early as possible to minimize the development of stiffness. Established contractures should be treated initially with physical therapy and static-progressive splinting. Patients who have failed a minimum of six months of nonsurgical management and who are motivated to comply with postoperative rehabilitation are candidates for surgical release. There are several effective surgical approaches and techniques available. The choice of surgical approach and technique is dictated by the location of the pathology, condition of the skin, and degree of arthritic changes. A major challenge to care is the management of the young patient with posttraumatic elbow contracture and advanced degenerative changes for which there is currently no reliable long-term surgical treatment.