Elbow hemiarthroplasty for acute reconstruction of intraarticular distal humerus fractures: a preliminary report involving 4 patients.

We treated 4 female patients (mean age 80) with complex intraarticular acute fracture of the distal humerus with a Kudo humeral component, i.e. a hemiarthroplasty. All fractures were considered impossible to treat with open reduction and internal fixation. At mean 10 (3-14) months, 3 patients had an excellent result and 1 a good result according to the Mayo elbow performance score. We conclude that a hemiarthroplasty may be a valuable alternative in elderly patients with complex fractures of the distal humerus.