Mid-term results of the treatment of acute postero-lateral rotational instability of the elbow joint

Background: Dislocations of the forearm are rare injuries with the annual incidence of 6.1 cases per 100 000 population. Postero-lateral rotational instability is the most common complication after the conservative treatment of forearm dislocations. To restore the congruency and provide early movements in the elbow joint, the primary repair or reconstruction of the damaged ligaments of the elbow are required. Aim: to evaluate the clinical and functional results after the surgical repair of the elbow joint ligaments in acute postero-lateral rotational instability. Methods: The study was based on a retrospective analysis of a series of clinical cases, including 17 patients with acute postero-lateral rotational instability, among them 5 simple forearm dislocations, 9 fracture-dislocations of the forearm and 3 fractures of the radial head. Refixation of the lateral ulnar ligament was performed with anchor fixation or bone tunnels. The evaluation was performed using the clinical aspects (the «lateral pivot shift» test, the range of motion), according to the scale for the evaluation of the elbow joint functional condition (MEPS), Oxford scale of the elbow joint evaluation (OEC), the X-ray results were also estimated. Results: In all the cases the elbow joint stability had been achieved, according to the X-ray and clinical aspects. In 4 cases, additional plasty of the medial collateral ligament was needed and performed after the restoration of the lateral ligament complex. According to the MEPS scale, 58% of the achieved results were excellent, 35% were good and 5.8% were satisfactory. Conclusion: The restoration of the lateral ulnar collateral ligament complex is a safe and effective procedure, which restores the elbow joint stability and allows the patients to return to full physical activity and avoid the development of postero-lateral rotational joint instability.