Drawing on long-term clinical experience, the dissertation provides an overview of the options for the reconstructive surgery of irreversibly damaged elbow joints and the individual structural directions in the development of total elbow replacements. The clinical study focuses on the comparison of the unconstrained Souter-Strathclyde elbow implant, which has been used at our workplace since 1987, and the semiconstrained Coonrad-Morrey implant, which we started to use in the nineties. The disadvantages of the Souter-Strathclyde implant consist of a relatively complex surgery technique and narrower indication which does not permit larger primary instability of the operated elbow and large bone defects. Due to these reasons in recent years the Coonrad-Morrey total elbow replacement has been the preferred option at our workplace. The main problem as regards the long-term survival of this implant is especially the wear of the polyethylene bushings of the fl oppy hinge. This can be solved through an early replacement of this hinge before substantial abrasive wear develops ultimately leading to the loosening of the whole implant. We have elaborated a methodology that maps the condition of the polyethylene bushings and at the same time examines the integration of the humeral and ulnar component in the...

Drawing on long-term clinical experience, the dissertation provides an overview of the options for the reconstructive surgery of irreversibly damaged elbow joints and the individual structural directions in the development of total elbow replacements. The clinical study focuses on the comparison of the unconstrained Souter-Strathclyde elbow implant, which has been used at our workplace since 1987, and the semiconstrained Coonrad-Morrey implant, which we started to use in the nineties. The disadvantages of the Souter-Strathclyde implant consist of a relatively complex surgery technique and narrower indication which does not permit larger primary instability of the operated elbow and large bone defects. Due to these reasons in recent years the Coonrad-Morrey total elbow replacement has been the preferred option at our workplace. The main problem as regards the long-term survival of this implant is especially the wear of the polyethylene bushings of the fl oppy hinge. This can be solved through an early replacement of this hinge before substantial abrasive wear develops ultimately leading to the loosening of the whole implant. We have elaborated a methodology that maps the condition of the polyethylene bushings and at the same time examines the integration of the humeral and ulnar component in the...