Indications and surgical technique of primary elbow linked arthroplasty

Since the introduction of total elbow arthroplasty (TEA), the continual evolution of biomaterials and increasing knowledge of the anatomy of the elbow has raised awareness among orthopedic surgeons of the potential of TEA and has extended the indications for this kind of surgery. Regardless of the diagnosis that leads to surgery, there are some common key steps concerning the surgical technique that need to be followed regardless of the type of implant used. In this chapter the main indications for linked TEA, along with the surgical technique for the correct positioning of linked total elbow prosthesis, will be analyzed.