The elbow is a hinge joint made up of the upper arm bone and two forearm bones. They meet to form the elbow joint and are covered with cartilage at the joint. Muscles, ligaments and tendons hold the elbow joint together. There are a variety of surgeries to treat the parts of the elbow when non-surgical treatments are not effective.
Elbow arthroscopy is a minimally-invasive procedure surgeons use to evaluate, inspect and repair problems within the elbow joint. During the procedure, a tiny incision is made and a small camera is inserted into the elbow joint. The camera displays pictures on a television screen that the surgeon can use to make repairs with extremely small instruments. Arthroscopy provides less pain and faster recovery time for patients than traditional surgery. It is generally recommended as the next step for conditions not responding to non-surgical treatments.
Total Elbow Replacement
Total elbow replacements are performed to remove and replace damaged parts of the upper arm bone and forearm bones with artificial parts. The artificial joint is often made with metal and plastic and come in different sizes.