Interest of the Total Elbow Arthroplasty in Pathological Fractures of the Distal Humerus

Abstract

Fractures of the distal humerus account for 5% of osteoporotic fractures in patients over 60 years. The osteoporotic field, comorbidities, and joint comminutions make it difficult to support. The objective of our work is to show the interest of the total elbow arthroplasty in pathological fractures of the distal humerus. We report a unique case of a pathological fracture of the distal end immediately treated by total elbow arthroplasty in a 82-year-old patient whose biopsy reveals an evocative metastasis of clear cell adenocarcinoma of renal origin. In fractures of the distal humerus disease in the elderly, the absolute necessity of rapid recovery of daily life activities can move towards a total joint arthroplasty or hemiarthroplasty. Total joint replacement is an alternative to the trauma in the elderly elbow. It uses semi-constrained implants allowing stable mounting and early mobilization through self-rehabilitation.