Developing and Innovating Newer Techniques in Elbow Surgery

Elbow surgery has advanced rapidly in the last decade, and several new techniques offer the advantages of better outcomes and minimal invasiveness. The process of developing a new technique is simplified by application of the six key concepts. Any new technique should be performed in a safe manner and ideally first in a cadaveric model. There must be adequate follow-up, including safety and complication assessment, comparative studies and ideally independent review. Practical difficulties, like availability and expense of cadavers, exist, and these may be overcome by one-on-one cadaver courses that are focused on a specific new technique. This chapter presents a logical and scientific approach to the innovation of newer techniques and incorporation of these in surgical practice in a safe and reproducible manner.