Patient satisfaction, joint stability and return to sports following simple elbow dislocations: surgical versus non-surgical treatment

Simple acute postero-lateral elbow dislocation: A historical perspective

PURPOSE

The aims of this study were to summarize (1) the historical knowledge of the posterolateral elbow dislocation (PLED) pattern and the biomechanical, radiographic, and clinical data that engendered its evolution; and (2) to help clinicians better understand the management of PLED.

METHODS

A literature search was performed using Ovid, Scopus and Cochrane Library, and the Medical Subject Headings vocabulary. Results are discussed as a chronologic review of the relevant literature between 1920-2022.

RESULTS

In 1966 Osborn and Cotterill were the first to describe posterolateral rotatory instability (PLRI) causing the PLED. Several theories on PLED were then published by others surgeons as our understanding of elbow biomechanics continued to improve. Multiple treatment protocols have been designed based on the aforementioned theories. Conservative and surgical treatment for PLED provides excellent functional outcomes. However, high rates of persistent pain stiffness and instability have been reported long-term, and no single approach to treatment has been widely accepted.

CONCLUSION

Despite a growing body of biomechanical evidence, there is no consensus surgical indication for the treatment of PLED. Both conservative and surgical management result in satisfactory functional outcomes after PLED. However, elevated rates of residual pain, and instability have also been described and may limit heavy labor and sports participation. The next challenge for elbow surgeons will be to identify those patients who would benefit from surgical stabilization following PLED.

Treatment Outcomes of Simple Elbow Dislocations: A Systematic Review of 1,081 Cases

BACKGROUND

The treatment of simple elbow dislocations (SEDs) has become more functional last decade with a tendency to shorter immobilization of the elbow, whereas simultaneously, surgical stabilization has been promoted by some authors. The primary aim of this study was to systematically review the literature and analyze the outcomes and complications of different treatment options for acute and persistent SEDs, including operative and nonoperative treatments with varying immobilization periods.

METHODS

A literature search was performed based on the online medical databases MEDLINE, Embase, and the Cochrane databases. Articles presenting patients with a SED were eligible for inclusion. When an SED persists for >3 weeks, it is categorized as persistent. Various outcome measures were assessed, including the range of motion (ROM), patient-reported outcome measures, and complication rates. To get insight into the severity of complications, all complications were categorized as minor or major. The Methodological Index for Nonrandomized Studies was used to assess the methodological quality of nonrandomized studies. The risk of bias in the randomized studies was assessed with the Cochrane risk-of-bias tool.

RESULTS

A total of 37 articles were included with 1,081 dislocated elbows (1,078 patients). A fair quality of evidence was seen for the nonrandomized studies and a low risk of bias for the randomized study. Nonoperative treatment was administered to 710 elbows, with 244 elbows treated with early mobilization, 239 with 1- to 3-week immobilization, and 163 with ≥3-week immobilization. These groups showed a ROM flexion-extension arc (ROM F/E) of 137, 129, and 131°, respectively. Surgical treatment as open reduction and ligament repair or reconstruction was performed in 228 elbows and showed a ROM F/E of 128°. All persistent SEDs were treated surgically and showed a ROM F/E of 90°.

CONCLUSION

The early mobilization treatment showed the most consistent satisfactory outcomes in the literature compared with the other treatment options. Nevertheless, there remains ambiguity regarding which patients would benefit more from surgery than nonoperative treatment.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

Level IV. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.

Acute elbow dislocation: a critical appraisal of the literature

Background

The purpose of this study was to perform a narrative review of acute elbow dislocation (AED). There are certain aspects of the management of AED that are controversial, including type and length of immobilization, indications for surgery, type of surgery, and new evidence available.

Material and methods

A literature search was performed using MEDLINE and Embase databases for studies regarding AED. Preference was given to studies according to their level of evidence. Studies regarding the outcome of conservative and surgical treatment, including patient-reported outcomes, complications, and conversion to stabilization or revision surgery were included.

Results

We found only 1 level I study and 3 level II randomized clinical trials. The rest consisted of level III-V evidence. Conservative care continues to be the standard of care for stable AEDs. Shorter immobilization periods are favored when possible. A consensus definition of an unstable elbow still needs to be improved. Unstable simple elbow dislocation may benefit from surgical intervention with different techniques showing similar outcomes. Advances in surgical procedures and suture designs, including tapes, and ligament augmentation, need to prove their role in managing acute elbow instability.

Conclusion

There is a need for higher quality studies after the reduction of an AED, including discerning the outcome of specific patterns of injury and particular groups of patients like high-level athletes or people with preoperative laxity. Comparison between different surgical techniques is warranted, including arthroscopic techniques and types of ligament augmentation to promote early motion and reduce postoperative stiffness.

Long-Term Follow-up (14 to 25 Years) Following Closed Reduction and Early Movement for Simple Dislocation of the Elbow

BACKGROUND

We have previously reported on the midterm outcomes after a nonoperative protocol to treat simple dislocations of the elbow that included a short period of splinting followed by early movement. We have now performed extended follow-up of the original patient group from the prior study to determine whether the excellent results that previously had been reported were maintained in the long term and also to determine the rate of and need for any late surgical intervention.

METHODS

We attempted to contact all of the patients from the original study group. We requested that they complete the Oxford Elbow Score (OES) survey, the Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand (DASH) questionnaire, and a validated patient satisfaction questionnaire. Patients also were requested to attend a face-to-face assessment to have a clinical examination that included neurovascular, range-of-motion, and ligamentous stability assessments.

RESULTS

Seventy-one patients from the original patient group agreed to participate in the new study. The mean duration of follow-up was 19.3 years. At the time of the final follow-up, patients reported excellent functional outcome scores and a preserved functional range of movement in the injured elbow. The mean OES was 91.6 points, the mean DASH score was 5.22 points, and the mean satisfaction score was 90.9 points. None of the patients had undergone delayed or secondary surgery for instability during the interval period.

CONCLUSIONS

This study demonstrated that the original excellent outcomes following treatment with a protocol of a short period of splinting and early movement remained excellent and were maintained into the very long term.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

Therapeutic Level IV . See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.

Acute Dislocation of the Elbow: An All-Arthroscopic Repair of the Lateral Ligament Complex

The elbow is one of the most commonly dislocated joints. While conservative management is frequently performed for simple elbow dislocations, the importance of primary surgical treatment is still undetermined. However, promising results have been reached after surgical repair. We propose an arthroscopic surgical repair of the lateral ligament complex (LCL), performed with a horizontal suture and 2 Fibertak Knotless implants (Arthrex) placed on the LCL origin, one anterior and the other posterior. Operative treatment should be performed in patients with moderate and gross elbow laxity to avoid post-traumatic sequelae and decrease revision rates. Arthroscopic techniques create fewer complications. This procedure allows one to address intra-articular elbow joint pathology with less chance of wound complications and the ability to use bone anchors if desired.

Functional Postoperative Outcome for 92 Cases of Radial Head Fractures: A PROM-Based Retrospective Study

Background: Fractures of the radial head are common injuries, whereas, in the case of displaced fractures, surgical treatment using screw or plate osteosynthesis, excision, or replacement of the radial head is required. However, data about patient-related outcomes (PROM) for different types of radial head fractures is limited in the current literature. Therefore, this study was conducted to evaluate the functional outcome after operatively treated radial head fractures and to further correlate these results with the initial modified Mason classification. Methods: In this retrospective study, all suitable patients with surgical treatment of a radial head fracture were identified. Only patients with Mason II-IV fractures were included. All patients completed the Elbow Self-Assessment Score (ESAS) questionnaire. Data on fracture classification, type of surgery, and revision operations (if needed) were assessed. Results: A total of 92 patients suffering from fractures of the radial head (57 Mason II, 35 Mason III-fractures) who were operatively treated at our institution were enrolled. There were 42 (47.7%) female and 50 (54.3%) male patients with an average age of 47.5 ± 14.1 years. Screw osteosynthesis was performed in 67 patients, plate osteosynthesis in 20 patients, and five patients received radial head arthroplasty. The average ESAS score accounted for 89.7 ± 16.7. Mason II fractures showed significantly better functional results with higher ESAS scores (92.3 ± 13.9 vs. 85.4 ± 20.1) as well as significantly lower rates of necessary implant removal (0 vs. 5 (14.3%) than Mason III fractures. Screw osteosynthesis showed significantly better functional ESAS scores, 91.0 ± 16.5, than plate osteosynthesis, with 85.3 ± 17.6 (p = 0.041), but was predominantly used in Mason II fractures. Conclusions: Surgical treatment using screw- and plate osteosynthesis of radial head fractures provides a good overall outcome. The postoperative function is associated with the initial Mason classification as the patients' reported outcome was worse in Mason III fractures compared to Mason type II fractures. In this context, the ESAS score can be considered a useful tool for the assessment of the patient-based functional outcome.

[Ligamentous elbow injuries-When is surgical treatment still indicated?]

The elbow joint is a hinge-type synovial joint and is the second most frequently dislocated joint in adults and the most frequently dislocated joint in children. To find the right treatment options a precise understanding of the injury pattern, anatomy, biomechanics and pathology (simple vs. complex dislocation) is essential for a good reconstruction of the function and to prevent chronic instability and pain. The differentiation between acute and chronic instability gives another variation in the treatment plan. According to the latest literature there are clear indications for surgery of a complex elbow dislocation, whereas for simple dislocations conservative treatment is preferentially recommended; however, when is the surgical treatment of a ligamentous elbow dislocation (still) indicated?

High return to sport rate and good patient-reported outcomes in recreational athletes following simple elbow dislocations

BACKGROUND

The purpose of this study was to investigate outcomes and return to sport metrics in recreational athletes who suffered simple elbow dislocations and were treated operatively or nonoperatively.

METHODS

The study included patients between the ages of 16 and 65 who were recreational athletes and had experienced a simple elbow dislocation, with at least 2 years having passed since the injury. Patient-reported outcomes including Mayo Elbow Performance Score (MEPS), Subjective Elbow Value (SEV), Oxford Elbow Score (OES) and Visual Analog Scale (VAS) were collected. Return to sport metrics were assessed.

RESULTS

A total of 44 patients (21 females, mean age 43.8 years [95% CI, 39.1-48.5]) who were recreational athletes before their injury completed follow-up at mean 7.6 years (95% CI, 6.7-8.5). There were 29 patients (65.9%) who were treated operatively. Mean MEPS was 93.3 (95% CI, 90.2-96.4), mean SEV was 94.9 (95% CI, 91.9-97.9) and mean OES was 43.3 (95% CI, 41.3-45.4). A total of 36 (81.8%) patients returned to their pre-injury sport. Mean time to return to sport was 21.7 (95% CI, 16.8-26.5) weeks. There was a significant difference in OES (P = .019) and SEV (P = .030) that favored the nonoperative group; however, no significant differences for MEPS, VAS, satisfaction, arc of motion and return to sport were present between groups. A total of five (11.4%) complications were observed and one (2.3%) required revision.

CONCLUSIONS

Good outcomes and a high return to sport rate can be expected in recreational athletes following operative and nonoperative treatment of simple elbow dislocations. However, as many as one-in-five patients may not return to pre-injury sport.