The Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery (American). 2007;89:2188-2194.
doi:10.2106/JBJS.F.00299
© 2007 The Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery, Inc.
This Article
Right arrow Full Text
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow CME: Take the exam for this article:
 Shoulder/Elbow Test 22: Winter 2008 (publication date February 15, 2008; ex...
Right arrow [Supplementary Material]
Right arrow Letters to the Editor: Submit a response
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me when Letters to the Editor are posted
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow E-mail this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Add to My File Cabinet
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrowReprints and Permissions
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Ansah, P.
Right arrow Articles by Imhoff, A. B.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Ansah, P.
Right arrow Articles by Imhoff, A. B.
Related Collections
Right arrow Elbow
Social Bookmarking
Add to CiteULike   Add to Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us   Add to Technorati  
What's this?

Osteochondral Transplantation to Treat Osteochondral Lesions in the Elbow

Patrick Ansah, MD1, Stephan Vogt, MD1, Peter Ueblacker, MD2, Vladimir Martinek, MD1, Klaus Woertler, MD3 and Andreas B. Imhoff, MD1

1 Department of Orthopedic Sports Medicine, Technical University Munich, Connollystrasse 32, 80809 Munich, Germany. E-mail address for S. Vogt: stephan-vogt{at}web.de
2 Department of Trauma, Hand and Reconstructive Surgery, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Martinistrasse 52, 20246 Hamburg, Germany
3 Department of Radiology, Technical University Munich, Ismaningerstrasse 22, 81675 Munich, Germany

Investigation performed at the Department of Orthopedic Sports Medicine, Technical University Munich, Munich, Germany

Disclosure: The authors did not receive any outside funding or grants in support of their research for or preparation of this work. Neither they nor a member of their immediate families received payments or other benefits or a commitment or agreement to provide such benefits from a commercial entity. No commercial entity paid or directed, or agreed to pay or direct, any benefits to any research fund, foundation, division, center, clinical practice, or other charitable or nonprofit organization with which the authors, or a member of their immediate families, are affiliated or associated.

A commentary is available with the electronic versions of this article, on our web site (www.jbjs.org) and on our quarterly CD-ROM (call our subscription department, at 781-449-9780, to order the CD-ROM).

Background: Effective treatment of osteochondral lesions in the elbow remains challenging. Arthroscopic débridement and microfracture or retrograde drilling techniques are often insufficient and provide only temporary symptomatic relief. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the treatment of these lesions with osteochondral autografts.

Methods: From 1999 to 2002, seven patients with osteochondral lesions of the capitellum humeri (five patients), trochlea (one patient), or radial head (one patient) were treated with cylindrical osteochondral grafts, which were harvested from the non-weight-bearing area of the proximal aspect of the lateral femoral condyle. The patients (three female and four male patients with an average age of seventeen years) were evaluated preoperatively and postoperatively, with an average follow-up of fifty-nine months. The Broberg and Morrey score was chosen for functional evaluation of the elbow (with regard to motion, pain, strength, activities of daily living, and stability), and the American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons score was used for the analysis of pain. All patients had imaging studies done preoperatively to evaluate the defect and postoperatively to assess the ingrowth and viability of the graft. The ipsilateral knee was examined for donor-site morbidity.

Results: The Broberg and Morrey score improved from a mean (and standard deviation) of 76.3 ± 13.2 preoperatively to 97.6 ± 2.7 postoperatively, and pain scores were significantly reduced (p < 0.05). The mean elbow extension lag of 4.7° ± 5.8° was reduced to 0° postoperatively. Compared with the contralateral side, there was a mean preoperative flexion lag of 12.9° ± 13.8°. At the time of the final follow-up, flexion was free and was equal bilaterally in all patients. None of the plain radiographs made at the time of follow-up showed any degenerative changes or signs of osteoarthritis. The postoperative magnetic resonance imaging scans showed graft viability and a congruent chondral surface in all seven patients. No donor-site morbidity was noted at one year postoperatively.

Conclusions: The osteochondral autograft procedure described in the present study provides the opportunity to retain viable hyaline cartilage for the repair of osteochondral lesions in the elbow while restoring joint congruity and function and perhaps reducing the risk of osteoarthritis. These medium-term results suggest that the risks of a two-joint procedure are modest and justifiable. In addition, the described technique provides an option for revision surgery after the failure of other surgical procedures.

Level of Evidence: Therapeutic Level IV. See Instructions to Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.


Add to CiteULike CiteULike   Add to Connotea Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us Del.icio.us   Add to Technorati Technorati    What's this?