Skip Navigation


Rheumatology Advance Access originally published online on July 6, 2004
Rheumatology 2004 43(10):1240-1245; doi:10.1093/rheumatology/keh292
This Article
Right arrow Full Text
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow All Versions of this Article:
43/10/1240    most recent
keh292v1
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in ISI Web of Science
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Add to My Personal Archive
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrowRequest Permissions
Right arrow Disclaimer
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by van der Lugt, J. C. T.
Right arrow Articles by Rozing, P. M.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by van der Lugt, J. C. T.
Right arrow Articles by Rozing, P. M.
Related Collections
Right arrow Rheumatoid Arthritis
Social Bookmarking
Add to CiteULike   Add to Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us  
What's this?

Rheumatology Vol. 43 No. 10 © British Society for Rheumatology 2004; all rights reserved

Paper

Influence of previous open synovectomy on the outcome of Souter-Strathclyde total elbow prosthesis

J. C. T. van der Lugt, R. B. Geskus and P. M. Rozing

Leiden University Medical Center, Orthopaedics, Leiden, The Netherlands.

Correspondence to: J. C. T. van der Lugt. E-mail: j.c.t.van_der_lugt{at}lumc.nl

Objectives. Open synovectomy of the elbow joint is often performed in early stages of rheumatoid arthritis. Because of poor long-term results after synovectomy, insertion of a total elbow prosthesis is commonly used as a secondary procedure. The aim of this study is to evaluate the influence of previous synovectomy on the outcome after placement of a total elbow prosthesis.

Methods. We inserted 204 primary Souter-Strathclyde total elbow prostheses for rheumatoid arthritis. Two groups could be distinguished: group A with previous synovectomy 3.9 yr (mean) before the elbow replacement (n = 33) and group B without previous synovectomy (n = 171). The mean follow-up was 5.8 yr for group A and 6.3 yr for group B. All patients were assessed clinically and radiologically before the operation, 1 and 2 years later and then at regular intervals. The effect of previous synovectomy was analysed via a Cox model and a generalized linear mixed model for binomial data with multivariate normal random effects.

Results. No statistically significant effect of previous synovectomy on pain, function or complaints of the ulnar nerve could be found post-operatively. The post-operative flexion was significantly higher in group B than in group A. The complication-rates were similar for both groups. The overall survival rate for respectively group A and B with revision as endpoint was 66.9% (S.E. 13.4) versus 79.6 (S.E. 4.3) after 10 yr.

Conclusions. Previous synovectomy does not diminish the outcome after total elbow prosthesis in this series and could therefore be considered in early, painful stages of rheumatoid destruction of the elbow joint.

KEY WORDS: Elbow joint, Elbow prosthesis, Open synovectomy, Rheumatoid arthritis, Souter-Strathclyde


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




Disclaimer:
Please note that abstracts for content published before 1996 were created through digital scanning and may therefore not exactly replicate the text of the original print issues. All efforts have been made to ensure accuracy, but the Publisher will not be held responsible for any remaining inaccuracies. If you require any further clarification, please contact our Customer Services Department.