Elbow Replacement Surgery

Research

Mayo Clinic orthopedic surgeons and scientists are active in elbow replacement research that is quickly translated into clinical care, including developing patents for new surgical devices and techniques.

Mayo Clinic has a dedicated Biomechanics and Motion Analysis Laboratory that focuses primarily on studying the influence of prostheses in restoring normal function to the elbow and other joints. Mayo Clinic is continuously developing, modifying and patenting new prostheses designs. One of the most-used prosthesis designs, the Coonrad/Morrey Total Elbow, was adapted by Mayo Clinic surgeons.

Mayo Clinic and University of Colorado-Denver researchers analyzed the results of operations on 500 patients to confirm the safety of a step-by-step (stepwise) surgical technique (arthroscopic capsular release) for correcting loss of elbow joint motion. The surgery involves releasing a tight capsule around the joint. Nerve injury is a risk if the procedure is performed incorrectly or complications arise. None of the patients followed in the study experienced nerve injuries, confirming the validity of this safety-driven technique.

Publications

See a list of publications on elbow replacement surgery by Mayo Clinic doctors on PubMed, a service of the National Library of Medicine.