Arthroscopy for elbow arthritis

Treatment of elbow arthritis has traditionally involved conservative nonoperative measures such as medications and activity modifications or open-debridement or joint replacement procedures, which may be associated with more complications and a longer recovery period. A minimally invasive technique that reliably produces good outcomes is desirable. Arthroscopic debridement for elbow joint arthritis has received increasing attention following series documenting similar outcomes to open procedures. Arthroscopic debridement may be accompanied by relatively less morbidity, however. Therefore, arthroscopic treatments for rheumatoid arthritis, posttraumatic degenerative changes, primary osteoarthritis, and septic arthritis of the elbow are becoming increasingly important. In this article, indications and techniques are presented for arthroscopic management of elbow arthritis.