Loose bodies in the elbow.

This is a retrospective study of 52 patients with loose bodies in the elbow joint. The major cause was osteoarthrosis, accounting for 37 per cent of the cases, and the commonest site was the anterior compartment of the joint. Restriction of elbow extension by 10 degrees or more was the most constant clinical finding. Thirty-three patients were subjected to arthrotomy, with a low complication rate.