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[Arthroscopy in stiff elbow: report of 32 cases]
1Service de Chirurgie Orthopédique, Hôpital Foch, 40 rue Worth, 92150 Suresnes. christel.conso@club-internet.fr
Purpose Of The Study:
The purpose of this retrospective study was to investigate the contribution of arthroscopic management of moderately stiff elbows resulting from traumatic or degenerative causes.
Material And Methods:
Elbow arthroscopy was performed in 32 patients with moderately stiff joints; mean preoperative range of motion was 94.8 degrees . Most of the procedures consisted in an anterior approach followed by a posterior approach. Anterior capsulotomy was performed in 5 elbows and joint "cleaning" in the others. The Kashiwagi Outerbridge technique was employed for two elbows.
Results:
Mean gain in range of motion was 25 degrees. There was a postoperative loss of range of motion in three cases. There were no intra- or postoperative complications. Eighty percent of patients considered arthroscopy provided an improvement.
Discussion:
Elbow arthroscopy for stiff joint of various causes is a difficult procedure which in our experience has provided a gain in range of motion comparable with other series reported in the literature. Elbow arthroscopy could be a less invasive alternative to open surgery for moderately stiff joints.