When is an artificial elbow joint necessary?

Compared to hip prostheses, elbow prostheses are rarely implanted in Germany. Osteoarthritis occurs much less frequently here and people cope much better with restricted movement in the elbow than in the knee, for example. However, if an artificial joint replacement is necessary due to an accident or injury, you are in the best hands with our elbow specialists. With their many years of experience, our highly specialized doctors at the Centre for Artificial Joint Replacement will advise you in detail on whether an elbow prosthesis is advisable for you and what options are available.

If there is pain in the elbow, for example due to osteoarthritis, the question arises: Do I need an artificial elbow joint and when is the right time? An elbow prosthesis is usually considered if the cartilage of the elbow joint is so badly worn that conservative and joint-preserving procedures cannot restore the mobility, pain relief and function of the joint.

Artificial elbow joint: types of prosthesis

If you have decided on an elbow prosthesis after consulting our specialists, the full prosthesis consists of two components: One is fixed in the upper arm bone (humerus), the other in the ulna (ulna). Both are fixed to the body's own bones of the elbow. The artificial elbow joint can also be used as an uncoupled or partially coupled implant. The choice of prosthesis depends on the bone substance and the ligament guidance of the elbow.

Elbow surgery: How long is the hospital stay?

The more tissue-sparing the procedure, the shorter your stay in hospital after elbow surgery will generally be. On the elbow, the decisive factor is whether the triceps tendon has to be detached during the operation. If it remains intact, function is restored better and more quickly and the patient will be fit again more quickly.

Fracture of the radial head of the elbow

A radial head prosthesis is implanted more frequently than a full elbow prosthesis. This is a partial prosthesis. The radial head prosthesis is usually required if the elbow joint is dislocated. If the original radial head is broken into many small pieces, reconstruction is often not possible. To ensure that stability is not affected, our artificial joint replacement specialists insert a radial head prosthesis.