[Allograft-prosthesis composite arthroplasty for posttraumatic floating elbow]

Loss of bone stock in the elbow joint raises serious problems for reconstruction surgery. Total allograft-prosthesis composite arthroplasty is an attractive alternative to revision prosthesis and isolated osteoarticular allografts known to have many drawbacks. Use of this method is rather recent for revision procedures and tumor surgery and posttraumatic cases are rare (five reported cases). We report a case of posttraumatic floating elbow treated with this technique. At 75 months follow-up, the clinical result was excellent with the Mayo Clinic performance score at 100/100. Allograft-native bone fusion was complete and there were no complications, particularly no loosening. This composite technique is particularly well adapted for patients with major bone and joint loss. It can avoid the specific problems associated with each of the techniques used alone. The allograft reconstructs bone stock while the prosthetic component avoids the clinical expression of graft epiphyseal lysis.