elbow arthritis
Elbow arthritis is most commonly seen in active older men (usually in the 50s to 60s range). Patients usually have a heavy industrial type job and the elbow just wears out over time. The wear and tear in the joint leads to degeneration of the soft cartilage lining of the joint and therefore the joint rubs bone on bone. As it is not required for weight bearing (luckily we don’t walk on our hands) the arthritis is tolerable. Sometimes, however, parts of the cartilage can float around in the joint and create loose bodies which can jam in the joint, creating a “locked” joint. This can be incredibly painful and prevents use of the joint. Additionally, stiffness in the joint can occur because of the growth of bone spurs. Loose bodies can be treated with an arthroscopy of the elbow (a small scope inside the joint and several small cuts around the joint). Sometimes the bone spurs can be removed through the arthroscope, leading to some improvement (incomplete) in the range of motion in the joint.