When a fracture occurs around the elbow, it can easily lead to joint stiffness if it is not properly treated and rehabilitated. The incidence of post-traumatic elbow ankylosis is 3% to 20%, which seriously affects people’s daily life. After the single release, if the elbow joint rehabilitation exercise is not appropriate, the joint stiffness may reoccur. In order to avoid the recurrence of stiffness, orthopaedic surgeons take a variety of measures to carry out rehabilitation exercise and improve the elbow function.

To investigate the preliminary efficacy of tension brace combined with open elbow arthrolysis in the treatment of elbow ankylosis.

The data of 40 patients with elbow ankylosis treated with open elbow lysis in our hospital were analyzed retrospectively. Open elbow joint arthrolysis was used in control group (n=21) and tension brace combined with open elbow joint release in observation group (n=19) . The ranges of elbow flexion, extension and rotation and Mayo elbow function score were compared between the two groups during the last follow-up, and the curative effect was evaluated.

All patients were followed up for 12 to 28 months with an average of 18.9 months. There was no statistical difference in the range of elbow joint rotation between the control group and the observation group in the last follow-up[ (142.14 ±34.91) °vs (136.32±42.75) °, t=0.562, P=0.910], but there was significant difference in the ranges of flexion and extension [ (95.71±10.87) ° vs (107.47±14.13) °, t=2.966, P=0.005] and Mayo elbow function score [ (72.62±6.05) score vs (80.79±9.61) score, t=1.456, P=0.029]. The ranges of elbow flexion and extension and Mayo elbow function score of the observation group were significantly higher than those of the control group in the last follow-up.

Tension brace combined with open elbow joint arthrolysis can improve the ranges of elbow flexion and extension of elbow joint and improve the function of the elbow joint.