The short-to mid-term outcomes of elbow arthroscopy in the treatment of elbow arthritis: a systematic review

This study looked at the short- to mid-term outcomes of elbow arthroscopy in treating primary elbow osteoarthritis. A systematic search of PubMed, EMBASE, and MEDLINE was done from inception until June 2025 for studies reporting short- to mid-term clinical outcomes of elbow arthroscopy for osteoarthritis. Studies were screened according to PRISMA guidelines. 1692 studies provided 16 included studies with low to moderate methodological quality. 509 patients (515 elbows) gave a mean age of 42.8 years and mean follow-up time of 3.8 years. Weighted mean improvement in flexion, extension, total arc of motion, and MEPS were +15.3˚, +11.0˚, +23.6˚, and +27.8 respectively. Visual analogue scale (VAS) for pain had a weighted mean improvement of -3.5. The overall complication rate was 10.2%, of which 23 underwent re-operations (4.8%). Mid-term studies demonstrated similar outcomes to the short-term studies. This systematic review reported positive clinical outcomes following arthroscopic osteocapsular arthroplasty at the short- to mid-term for primary elbow osteoarthritis. Furthermore, our findings were comparable to outcomes following open elbow debridement. Future prospective studies should examine whether the improvements observed at mid-term are maintained at longer-term follow-up.