Elbow arthritis causes progressive stiffness, pain, and loss of movement that affects daily tasks from eating to dressing. It is most commonly caused by previous injury and has fewer surgical options than larger joints, making early management important.
Reviewed byProf Paul Lee MBBch, FRCS (Tr & Orth), PhDLast reviewed 1 May 2026
The elbow has three articulating surfaces that must work in coordination for bending, straightening, and forearm rotation. Arthritis disrupts this precision.
Because the elbow has limited reconstruction options compared to larger joints, preserving what remains is the priority. Our treatment approach reflects this.
You may have more options than you think
At London Cartilage Clinic we follow a structured clinical framework across four areas of treatment. Before recommending a single procedure, we assess which combination of approaches gives you the best outcome.
Protect what you have. Slow degeneration and manage symptoms.
Fix specific damage. Torn tissue, unstable joints, structural problems.
Rebuild lost tissue. Biological treatments that stimulate new growth.
When other options are exhausted. Joint replacement as a last resort.
Explore the full range of treatments available for your joint. Each hub page shows every option we offer, organised by clinical approach.
The most common cause is post-traumatic arthritis following a previous fracture, dislocation, or ligament injury. Primary osteoarthritis of the elbow is less common but can occur in patients who have performed heavy manual labour or overhead sport over many years.
Stiffness is often the earliest symptom, with difficulty fully straightening or bending the elbow. Pain develops with use, and patients may notice grinding, catching, or locking if loose bodies are present in the joint.
Yes. Many patients manage well with physiotherapy, activity modification, and injection therapy. Biological treatments such as PRP and mFat can support the remaining cartilage. Surgery is reserved for cases with significant mechanical symptoms or functional limitation.
Arthroscopic debridement can remove loose bodies, bone spurs, and inflamed tissue to improve movement and reduce catching. In severe cases, elbow replacement may be considered, though it is less common than knee or hip replacement and has specific activity restrictions.
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Clinical updates, cartilage treatment guidance, and recovery-focused articles from our specialist team.
Liquid cartilage is an image-guided injectable collagen scaffold for carefully selected focal cartilage defects, not established osteoarthritis. Its role is to support joint preservation in the hip, knee and ankle while keeping microfracture, MACI and eventually fusion or replacement as the main options for advanced disease.
PRP knee injections tend to improve pain and function over 1–6 months rather than days, while ankle MFAT or Lipogems injections have only case-level evidence and suit mainly organised joints without major malalignment, collapse or unstable cartilage defects.
Night-time hip ache after load, an ankle that flares after sprains, and early knee osteoarthritis are usually mechanical problems rather than signs of cancer. Fewer than 20% of early knees worsen over 2–5 years, symptomatic primary ankle osteoarthritis is uncommon, and hip scans need clinical context because labral tears often appear in pain-free people.
