Post-traumatic elbow stiffness: Pathogenesis and current treatments.

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Abstract

7. Cureus. 2023 Oct 27;15(10):e47838. doi: 10.7759/cureus.47838. eCollection 2023 Oct. Arthroscopic Capsular Release for Post-traumatic Elbow Stiffness. Ghayyad K(1), Ahmadi Z(2), Rajabi H(2), Alimohammadi MM(2), Kachooei AR(1)(2). Author information: (1)Orthopedic Surgery, Rothman Orthopaedics Florida at AdventHealth, Orlando, USA. (2)Orthopedic Research Center, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, IRN. BACKGROUND: Post-traumatic elbow stiffness (PTES) may substantially affect the patient's functional range of motion and quality of life. Open elbow release has been extensively studied, but arthroscopic techniques are limited, particularly in differentiating between post-traumatic and non-traumatic stiffness. The purpose of this study is to assess the clinical outcomes after arthroscopic release of PTES regarding the range of motion (ROM), pain, functional assessment, and complications. METHODS: A prospective cohort was conducted on adult patients who underwent arthroscopic arthrolysis for PTES, with 32 patients included in the final analysis. The ROM was measured using the orthopedic goniometer. Grip strength was measured using the Camry digital hand dynamometer (Camry, CA, USA) and compared to their contralateral side. The functional status of the patients was evaluated using the American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons Score (ASES)andthe Mayo Elbow Performance Index (MEPI). All measurements were done before surgery and at the last follow-up visit. Pre-operative and post-operative changes in MEPI, ASES, and visual analog (VAS) scores were compared with the paired t-test. RESULTS: After surgery, the ROM significantly improved from 74 ± 11 to 110 ± 15 degrees (p