Baksi's sloppy hinged prosthesis in rheumatoid arthritis of elbow: A midterm follow-up study

BackgroundRheumatoid arthritis is a systemic inflammatory disorder that is characterized by polyarticular involvement. In rheumatoid patients, elbow joint involvement occurs in 20–40% of cases. The aim of our study was to evaluate the functional outcome of Baksi's sloppy hinged elbow prosthesis in rheumatoid arthritis of elbow at mid term follow-up.Materials and methodsAll patients who underwent total elbow replacement using the Baksi's sloppy hinged prosthesis for rheumatoid arthritis of elbow from 2005 to 2012 were included in the study. Of the twelve patients studied, four patients were males and eight were females. Mayo elbow performance score was used pre-operatively and post-operatively for the functional outcome of total elbow replacement. Mean age of the patients in this study was 38.58 (range 20–60 years). The average pre-operative pain score was 21.25 (range 5–45).ResultsMayo elbow performance score improved from 40.83 preoperatively to 82.91 postoperatively (p < 0.05). The average range of motion was 110° (10–120°). Postoperatively all patients had good pain relief. The average post-operative pain score was 38.75 (range 15–45). The post-operative functional score was 20 (range 15–25).ConclusionBaksi's prosthesis has good result in rheumatoid arthritis of elbow, with good patient satisfaction in mid term follow-up. The overall functional outcome, pain improvement and stability of joint are satisfactory using the Baksi's sloppy hinged prosthesis for rheumatoid arthritis of elbow.