Activities after total elbow arthroplasty

BackgroundKnowledge of patient activities after total elbow arthroplasty may help delineate the true functional gains obtained after replacement. Experience suggests that some patients may perform activities excessively demanding on elbow implants, but compliance with activity restrictions recommended after elbow arthroplasty is largely unknown.Materials and methodsAll patients who underwent a primary or revision total elbow arthroplasty at a single institution from 2005 to 2007 were surveyed regarding their activity level. The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) activity score and Mayo Elbow Performance Score were assessed. Patients were also questioned about whether they recalled which activities were not recommended by their surgeon.ResultsOne hundred thirteen completed surveys were analyzed. There were 29 men and 84 women with a mean age of 65 years. Of the patients, 64 had primary and 49 had revision operations. The mean Mayo Elbow Performance Score was 77 points (range, 15-100 points). The mean University of California, Los Angeles activity score was 5 points (range, 1-10 points). Moderate-demand activities were performed by 94% of patients, and high-demand activities were performed by 40% of patients. Male gender and a diagnosis of fracture/nonunion was associated with increased performance of high-demand activities (P < .05). Eighty percent of patients remembered receiving postoperative restrictions, and of these patients, 83% interpreted that they were compliant with their restrictions.ConclusionNinety-four percent of patients engaged in moderate-demand activities after total elbow arthroplasty. Forty percent engaged in high-demand activities. Factors correlated with more demanding activities included male gender and diagnosis of fracture/nonunion. The vast majority of patients remembered receiving postoperative restrictions.