Complications After Capitellocondylar Elbow Replacement via the Lateral Approach

The capitellocondylar total elbow was developed in Boston some 20 years ago and has remained unchanged except for the addition of metal backing to the ulnar component. The prosthesis has been clinically used in Boston since 1974, and it was originally implanted through a posterior approach. The lateral, extended Kocher approach was adopted in 1979. In Lund, the capitellocondylar elbow has been used with the lateral approach since 1989. The lateral approach is of special interest, since the medial collateral ligament and the main part of the triceps tendon are left intact. Ewald et al. [2] reported that “the prevalence of complications was lower for the patients in whom the prosthesis had been implanted through the lateral approach than for those in whom it had been implanted through a posterior approach.” There are few other reports in the literature on elbow replacement through the lateral approach.