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Osteoarticular and Total Elbow Allograft Reconstruction With Severe Bone Loss

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  • Published:
Clinical Orthopaedics and Related Research

Abstract

Osteoarticular allograft reconstruction is an option in patients with massive periarticular elbow bone loss secondary to tumor surgery or trauma. Our consecutive series consisted of 18 patients with tumors and one patient with trauma. Reconstruction consisted of 16 hemiarticular allografts and three total elbow osteoarticular allografts; patients had a minimum followup of 2 years (mean, 9.9 years; range, 2–12 years). For patients who had hemiarticular allografts, 14 of 16 were able to return to their preoperative level of occupational function, with one patient experiencing failure of the allograft from infection. For the three patients who had total elbow allograft reconstructions, all had degenerative changes develop after surgery and two of the allografts failed. Complications occurred in six of 19 patients. Hemiarticular elbow allograft reconstruction is useful for limb salvage with massive bone loss. Total elbow allograft reconstructions have a high failure rate in the mid-term.

Level of Evidence: Level IV, therapeutic study. See the Guidelines for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Kerlan-Jobe Orthopaedic Clinic, 6801 Park Terrace Dr, Los Angeles, CA, 90045, USA

    F. Daniel Kharrazi MD, Benjamin T. Busfield MS, MD & Daniel S. Khorshad

  2. Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Orthopedic Oncology Unit, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA

    Francis J. Hornicek MD, PhD & Henry J. Mankin MD

Authors
  1. F. Daniel Kharrazi MD
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  2. Benjamin T. Busfield MS, MD
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  3. Daniel S. Khorshad
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  4. Francis J. Hornicek MD, PhD
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  5. Henry J. Mankin MD
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Correspondence to F. Daniel Kharrazi MD.

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Each author certifies that he or she has no commercial associations (eg, consultancies, stock ownership, equity interest, patent/licensing arrangements, etc) that might pose a conflict of interest in connection with the submitted article.

Each author certifies that his or her institution has approved the human protocol for this investigation, that all investigations were conducted in conformity with ethical principles of research, and that informed consent was obtained.

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Kharrazi, F.D., Busfield, B.T., Khorshad, D.S. et al. Osteoarticular and Total Elbow Allograft Reconstruction With Severe Bone Loss. Clin Orthop Relat Res 466, 205–209 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11999-007-0011-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11999-007-0011-8

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