Introduction: Treatment and outcome of patients with rheumatoid arthritis and distal humerus fractures is not well established.

Methods: Between 1982 and 2002 twenty-four elbows in twenty-two patients (eleven men, eleven women) treated for acute distal humerus fractures were retrospectively reviewed. The average age at time of the fracture was 64 years. Eleven elbows were immediately treated with a total elbow arthroplasty (TEA) type Coonrad-Morrey (CM), six elbows had underwent open reduction and internal fixation (ORIF), and seven elbows were referred to our institution after failed ORIF elsewhere and were revised with an TEA (CM).

Results: At an average follow-up of 52 months the Mayo Elbow Performance Score (MEPS) averaged in the eleven elbows with an immediate TEA 96 points and in the six elbows with ORIF 93 points (p=0.79). In the seven elbows with TEA after failed ORIF there was a trend towards a less favorable outcome (MEPS: 86 points) but the differences was not significant compared to immediate TEA (p=0.31) and ORIF (p=0.53). Patients with failed ORIF and a subsequent TEA had an average of 3 operation per elbow with one patient ending in elbow resection after an infected TEA. Patients with immediate TEA had an average of 1.3 operations and patients with successful ORIF 1.2 interventions.

Discussion and Conclusion: Distal humerus fractures in patients with rheumatoid arthritis can be treated successfully with an immediate TEA or ORIF. There is a trend towards a poorer clinical outcome in patients with TEA after failed ORIF.