Outcomes Following Radial Head Arthroplasty

Area of Science:

• Orthopedics
• Surgical Outcomes
• Arthroplasty

Background:

• Current radial head arthroplasty studies often involve small patient numbers and varied methodologies.
• Heterogeneity in patient populations, treatments, and outcome measures complicates analysis.

Purpose of the Study:

• To systematically review outcomes of radial head arthroplasty.
• To evaluate results based on injury chronicity, pattern, and implant type.

Main Methods:

• Systematic search of electronic databases for radial head arthroplasty/replacement studies.
• Inclusion of 19 studies, calculating composite means for Mayo Elbow Performance Score (MEPS) and range of motion.
• Statistical analysis to determine significant differences based on non-overlapping confidence intervals.

Main Results:

• Acute radial head arthroplasty yielded a higher MEPS (90) compared to delayed treatment (81).
• No significant MEPS differences were found between isolated and complex injury patterns or by implant material.
• Range of motion showed no significant differences across groups; however, titanium implants showed greater pronation (76°) than cobalt chromium (66°).

Conclusions:

• Outcomes, measured by MEPS, appear improved with acute radial head arthroplasty compared to delayed treatment.
• Limited significant differences in other outcomes may stem from study heterogeneity and insufficient statistical power.
• Prospective studies are necessary to isolate variables and ascertain their true impact on radial head arthroplasty outcomes.