GSB III Elbow

The history of elbow arthroplasty begins in the last century. The procedure of resection arthroplasty started to gain in importance in 1878 when Ollier [1] began to practice it with considerable success. In the 1960s we also used a modification of it in a great number of cases, and we were even able to mobilize elbows which, due to juvenile arthritis, had been ankylosed in extension (Fig. 1). Thirty years after elbow resection arthroplasty, one of these patients is able to use both formerly ankylosed and useless elbows so well that she is independent, can look after herself, and is even able to use two crutches for walking with her multiple joint replacements at the lower extremity.