The "classical" resection-interpOS1tlon plasty was over decades the only possibility for the reconstruction of joints at the upper extremities and at the foot. Results are good at the elbow, wrist and at the toe joints, they don't satisfy at the shoulder and at the ankle joint. For the joints of the upper extremities alloplastic methods were developed, too, using the durable and not tissue damaging metall alloy Vitallium. Today these can stand a competition with the classical arthroplasty. Also the homoplasty of the joints of the upper extremities is reactivated nowadays. The paper tries to show the different methods of arthroplasties at the upper extremities and at the foot used today and to balance them. Prof. Dr. H. MITTELMEIER Orthopadische Universitatsklinik 665 Homburg/Saar Landeskrankenhaus Literatur ALBEE, F. H.: Arthroplasty of the elbow. J. Bone Jt Surg. 15,979 (1933). BRANDES, M.: Zur operativen Therapie des Hallux valgus. Zbl. Chir. 56, 2434 (1929). BRAV, E. H., McFADDIN, J. G., MUELLER, J. A.: The replacement of shaft defects of long bones by metallic prostheses. Amer. J. Surg. 95, 75 (1958). CAMPBELL, W. c.: Arthroplasty of the elbow. Ann. Surg. 76, 615 (1922). CARR, C. R., HOWARD, J. W.: Metallic cap replacement of radial head following fracture. West J. Surg. 59, 539-546 (1951). CLAYTON, M. L.: Surgery ofthelower extremity in rheumatoid arthritis. J. Bone Jt Surg. 45A, 1517 (1963). EDEN, R.: Zur Operation der habituellen Schulterluxation. Dtsch. Z. Chir. 144, 268 (1918).