Fifteen-year follow-up of catastrophic distal humeral bone loss treated with a cement spacer: a case report

Management of massive bone loss in the elbow poses a daunting clinical challenge. If the loss includes the articular surface, options are generally limited to arthroplasty, osteo-articular allograft or allograft prosthetic composites and custom prostheses. Total elbow arthroplasty (TEA) is an effective surgical treatment for severe elbow arthritis and highly comminuted distal humerus fractures providing pain relief and improved function, but has a high complication rate3. In general TEA is considered a salvage operation for elderly patients.