Total elbow arthroplasty: surgical technique.

Implant arthroplasty about the elbow using custom metal components for the distal humerus and proximal ulna was developed in the 1960s. Before this time, the only salvage procedures available for destructive joint disease about the elbow were resection arthroplasty, fascial interposition arthroplasty, or elbow arthrodesis. Today, many total elbow arthroplasty designs are available and used throughout the world. The Coonrad-Morrey total elbow prosthesis (Zimmer, Warsaw, IN) is the most widely used implant for elbow arthroplasty in the United States and has been chosen for discussion in this surgical technique article.