Review Article Primary and Posttraumatic Arthritis of the Elbow

Copyright © 2013 Debdut Biswas et al. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. Whether degenerative joint disease of the elbow may be the result of primary or posttraumatic etiologies, arthritis of the elbow commonly leads to pain, loss of motion, and functional disability. A detailed history and focused physical examination, in combination with imaging modalities, can help localize the origin of symptoms and help direct treatment. Although nonoperative treatment is the initial therapy for arthritis of the elbow, surgical interventions may provide substantial relief to the appropriately selected patient. 1