Arthroscopy of the elbow.

A technique of diagnostic and surgical arthroscopy of the elbow is presented, and the normal intraarticular anatomy as viewed from the anterolateral, anteromedial, and posterolateral portals is described. A preliminary study of 12 patients who underwent surgical arthroscopy of the elbow demonstrated that removal of loose bodies produced the best objective and subjective results. Less satisfactory results were obtained when procedures such as capitellum and radial head chondroplasties were performed. Using a preoperative and postoperative point accumulation rating system for four objective and four subjective criteria, the following results were noted. Before surgery 50% of the patients objectively rated their elbows as satisfactory (excellent or good), whereas postoperative ratings increased to 83%. Subjectively, 17% rated their elbows as satisfactory before surgery, improving to 58% satisfactory ratings postoperatively. The only complication was a transient median nerve palsy caused by the extracapsular extravasation of a local anesthetic. From this preliminary study, it was concluded that attention to detail is essential in performing a safe, reproducible arthroscopic examination of the elbow, that arthroscopy of the elbow is an effective diagnostic procedure, and that operative elbow arthroscopy is effective in the treatment of certain elbow disorders.