The elbow

The elbow joint is a subcutaneous one, and many complications seem to relate to this anatomic feature. Skin and wound healing was a problem in the early arthroplasties, but this has largely been resolved with improved technique. Ulnar nerve injury occurs in 5 to 10 percent of instances, but loosening has been the major problem. This complication has been reported in about 25 percent of tightly constrained joints but it has been markedly reduced with the introduction of the semiconstrained joint. A significant complication of total elbow arthroplasty is a high incidence of infection. This has been reported to occur in as many as 9 percent of cases in the Mayo Clinic experience. The incidence is higher in patients with rheumatoid arthritis, though the evidence of radial lucency is not always present