Objectives: To compare physical impairments and patient reported outcomes in patients following simple and complex elbow injuries who were treated with a radial head arthroplasty.
Design: Patients with isolated elbow trauma and no prior injury to the elbow were prospectively enrolled following radial head arthroplasty for an acute unreconstructable fracture. Injury patterns were classified as simple or complex based on the presence or absence of associated elbow fractures and/or dislocation.
Setting: Quaternary Upper Extremity referral Hospital
Patients/Participants: Patients (n= 148) were subgrouped into 67 simple and 81 associated fracture/dislocation injury patterns.
Intervention: Radial Head Arthroplasty
Main Outcome Measurements: PREE, QuickDASH, Range of Motion and Biodex measurements
Results: At a minimum 1 year follow-up PREE and QuickDASH, and ROM and strength values were similar. Fourty-four patients evaluated at a mean of 7 years demonstrated no effect of injury pattern on clinical outcomes at any time point. Continued statistical improvements in PREE, supination ROM, and flexion ROM at medium term compared to earlier follow up was observed. Eight patients required secondary surgery, 2 in the simple injury group and 6 complex injury patients.
Conclusions: Concomitant elbow injuries do not affect the longer term outcomes of patients with unreconstructable radial head fractures requiring radial head arthroplasty. Patient outcomes continued to improve beyond two years of follow-up.
Level of Evidence: Therapeutic Level II. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.
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