A functional study of the rheumatoid elbow.

A clinical and functional study of rheumatoid elbows has been done to discover the magnitude and frequency of disabilities caused by elbow problems. Pain and weakness were found to affect all activities which were tested, with adjacent joint involvement, flexion deformity, and lack of supination causing significant disability. Instability was not a frequent problem. The frequency of functional disabilities, linked to severe pain, suggests that the development of an elbow joint replacement would be worthwhile.