Outcomes of Elbow Arthroscopic Osteocapsular Arthroplasty.

Purpose To evaluate the results of elbow arthroscopic osteocapsular arthroplasty (AOA) and determine which factors influence the outcome in a large group of patients with primary osteoarthritis. Methods A consecutive series of 46 patients with elbow osteoarthritis underwent AOA by a single surgeon (N.G.H.) between December 2005 and January 2013. Thirty-one patients returned for a comprehensive physical examination an average of 3.4 years later. The outcomes measures included visual analog scale (VAS), Mayo Elbow Performance Scores (MEPS), Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder, and Hand (DASH), and American Shoulder and Elbow Society (ASES) scores. Preoperative and postoperative continuous variables were compared and a multivariable regression analysis was performed. Results Thirty-one patients with a mean age of 48 years (range, 19-77 years) returned for final follow-up, including 27 men and 4 women. Statistically significant improvement was observed in extension deficit (24 degrees before surgery to 12 degrees after surgery), flexion (126 degrees before surgery to 135 degrees after surgery), visual analog scale (6.4 before surgery to 1.6 after surgery), and Mayo Elbow Performance Scores (57 [poor] before surgery to 88 [good] after surgery). Subjective scores included a mean postoperative Disabilities of the Ann, Shoulder, and Hand score of 13 and an American Shoulder and Elbow Society pain score of 40. No complications were noted at final follow-up. Conclusions Elbow AOA is a safe, efficacious treatment for patients with mild to moderate osteoarthritis. Our retrospective review found significant improvement in elbow motion, pain and clinical outcomes. (Copyright (C) 2016 by the American Society for Surgery of the Hand. All rights reserved.)