• Clinics in Shoulder and Elbow
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.154-157
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• 2022

Periprosthetic joint infection (PJI) is one of the most devastating complications that can occur after shoulder arthroplasty. Although staged revision arthroplasty is the standard treatment in many cases, surgical intervention with debridement, antibiotics, and implant retention (DAIR) can be an effective option for acute PJI. We report a complex case of infected reverse shoulder arthroplasty (RSA) in a 73-year-old male. The patient had been previously treated for infected nonunion of a proximal humerus fracture caused by methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus epidermidis. He presented with a sinus tract 16 days after the implantation of RSA and was diagnosed with PJI caused by Serratia marcescens. The patient was successfully treated with DAIR and was free of infection at the last follow-up visit at 4 years postoperatively.

• Clinics in Shoulder and Elbow
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• v.1 no.2
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• pp.242-249
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• 1998

Stiffness of the elbow joint is relatively common after trauma, ectopic ossification, bum, postoperative scar, and etc. Mild flexion deformity can be reduced by use of active or passive motion exercise, dynamic sling, hinged distractor device, or turnbuckle orthosis. But these methods have disadvantages of difficulty in gaining acceptable range of motion only with stretching exercise, re-contracture after conservative managements and poor results that flexion contracture remained. The common described operative exposures for treatment of the stiff elbow are anterior, lateral, posterior, and medial approach. Through Anterior, lateral and medial approach each has not access to all compartments of the elbow. But, posterior approach has benefits that access to posterior, medial and lateral aspects of the elbow and as needed, fenestration to the olecranon fossa that produces a communication between the anterior and posterior compartments of the elbow are possible. From June 1991 through April 1997, 11 patients who had posttraumatic stiff elbow, were treated with debridement arthroplasty through the posterior approach. The purpose of this study are to introduce technique of the debridement arthroplasty and to evaluate final outcomes. With regarding to preoperative pain degree, mild degree matches to 3 cases, moderate to 3 cases, and severe to 2 cases. In preoperative motion, flexion was average 85° and extension was 30°. Postoperatively nine patients had got the complete relief of pain and two patients continued to have mild pain intermittentely. Postoperative flexion improved to 127° and extension to 2°, so that elbow flexion had improved by an average of 42° and elbow extension by 28°. On the objective scale all patients had good or excellent results and they all felt that they were improved by operation. Debridement arthroplasty is one of excellent procedures for the intractable stiff elbow if it is not unstable or it has not incongrous. But it need a meticulous operative technique and a well-programmed rehabilitation.

• Clinics in Shoulder and Elbow
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.67-75
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• 2009

Purpose: This study evaluated the clinical outcomes of debridement arthroplasty using the posteromedial approach in elbow joints with pain and bony limitation of motion. Materials and Methods: This study involved 16 elbows in 16 patients with pain and bony limitation of motion, which were treated by debridement arthroplasty using the posteromedial approach from March 2005 to March 2008. The mean follow up period was 27.6 (13~52) months. The clinical outcomes were analyzed using the Visual Analogue Scale(VAS) for pain scale, the preoperative and postoperative range of motion and the Mayo Elbow Performance Scores(MEPS). Results: The VAS was decreased significantly from a preoperative mean of 4.5 to a postoperative mean 1.1 (p<0.001). The average arc of motion improved significantly from $61.6 (0~90)^{\circ}$ preoperatively to $109.4 (80-120)^{\circ}$ postoperatively (p<0.001). The MEPS also improved significantly from 59.4 to 85.6 postoperatively (p<0.001). There were no complications, such as hematoma and elbow instability. Conclusion: Debridement arthroplasty using the posteromedial approach is a useful surgical procedure in the elbow joint with pain and bony limitation of motion, where all compartments can be debrided, the ulnar nerve can be manipulated easily and damage to the medial collateral ligament can be minimized.

• The Academic Congress of Korean Shoulder and Elbow Society
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• 2007.03a
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• pp.150-150
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• 2007

• The Academic Congress of Korean Shoulder and Elbow Society
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• 2002.10a
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• pp.403-406
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• 2002

• The Academic Congress of Korean Shoulder and Elbow Society
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• 1998.03a
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• pp.47-47
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• 1998

• Clinics in Shoulder and Elbow
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• v.17 no.3
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• pp.145-150
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• 2014

In the patients of retracted massive rotator cuff tears, there are much of difficulty to functional recovery and pain relief. Nevertheless the development of treatment, there are still debates of the best treatments in the massive rotator cuff tears. Recenlty various of treatments are introduced; these are acromioplasty with debridement, biceps tenotomy, great tuberoplasty with biceps tenotomy, partial repair, mini-open rotator cuff repair, arthroscopic rotator cuff repair, soft tissue augmentation, tendon transfer, flap, hemiarthroplasty, and reverse total shoulder arthroplasty. That there is no difference of result for reverse total shoulder arthroplasty between patients who have massive rotator cuff tear without arthritis and patients who have cuff tear arthropathy. Reverse total shoulder arthroplasty is one of reliable and successful treatment options for massive rotator cuff tear. Especially it is more effective for patients who have a pseudoparalysis.

• Journal of the Korean Arthroscopy Society
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• v.2 no.2
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• pp.159-163
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• 1998

We reviewed the cases of 35 knees of 34 patients who had arthroscopic debridement for degenerative osteoarthritis of the knee. The patients were followed up for an average of 29 months (range: 13 months to 45 months). The mean age of the patients at operation was 54 years (range: 44 years to 75 years). At the time of follow up, the patients were evaluated using the nine-point scale by Baumgaertner et al. We divided the knee into 4 stages according to the classification system by Jackson et al. Satisfactory results were achieved in 80%(stage I), 75%(stage II), 55.6%(stage III) and 25%(stage IV) of the patients. Arthroscopic debridement is of significant value in the earlier stages of degenerative osteoarthritis (stage I and II) for the symptom relief as a simple procedure with rare complication as well as in the later stages(stage III and IV) as a time buying procedure before the total knee arthroplasty.

• Journal of the Korean Arthroscopy Society
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.38-43
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• 2013

Purpose: To evaluate the efficiency of arthroscopic treatment for infected total knee arthroplasty (TKA), and to investigate the factors affecting the outcomes. Materials and Methods: We analyzed 17 cases which underwent arthroscopic treatment to treat infection after TKA. After confirming infection by hematologic examination and analysis of joint fluid, we performed arthroscopic debridement, synovectomy and irrigation with normal saline mixed with antibiotics. Through routine examination after operation, we checked failure of treatment or recurrence of infection. If there is no recurrence until 2 years after the operation, we considered it as a success of treatment. Results: Of the 17 cases taken arthroscopic treatment, 13 cases were treated successfully with primary arthroscopic treatment only, but 4 cases had to undergo re-operation because of persistence or recurrence of infection. Analyzing the factors affecting the results, we found that symptom duration of the re-operation group is longer than the treated group after arthroscopy (p<0.05). Conclusion: Arthroscopic treatment can be effective when we performed appropriate selection of patients, careful and extensive arthroscopic irrigation and debridement, and suitable use of antibiotics. However, we have to do early arthroscopic surgery as soon as possible when infection after TKA is suspected.

• Clinics in Shoulder and Elbow
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• v.24 no.4
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• pp.245-252
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• 2021

Background: In patients with total elbow arthroplasty (TEA), the soft-tissue around the elbow can be vulnerable to soft-tissue complications. This study aims to assess the outcomes after soft-tissue reconstruction following TEA. Methods: We retrospectively included nine adult patients who underwent soft-tissue reconstruction following TEA. Demographic data and disease characteristics were collected through medical chart reviews. Additionally, we contacted all four patients that were alive at the time of the study by phone to assess any current elbow complications. Local tissue rearrangement was used for soft-tissue reconstruction in six patients, and a pedicle flap was used in three patients. The median follow-up period was 1.3 years (range, 6 months-14.7 years). Results: Seven patients (78%) underwent reoperation. Four patients (44%) had a reoperation for soft-tissue complications, including dehiscence or nonhealing of infected wounds. Five patients (56%) had a reoperation for implant-related complications, including three infections and two peri-prosthetic fractures. At the final follow-ups, six patients (67%) achieved successful wound healing and two patients had continued wound healing issues, while two patients had an antibiotic spacer in situ and one patient underwent an above-the-elbow amputation. Conclusions: This study reports a complication rate of 78% for soft-tissue reconstructions after TEA. Successful soft-tissue healing was achieved in 67% of patients, but at the cost of multiple surgeries. Early definitive soft-tissue reconstruction could prove to be preferable to minor interventions such as irrigation, debridement, and local tissue advancement, or smaller soft-tissue reconstructions using local tissue rearrangement or a pedicled flap at a later stage.