ABSTRACT
Traumatic injury of the elbow, both in the acute setting as well as in the setting
of chronic repetitive microtrauma, is quite common. Specifically, the frequency of
elbow dislocation is second only to that of the shoulder. Unlike the shoulder, however,
the elbow is an inherently stable articulation, considered one of the most congruous
joints in the body. This manuscript discussed imaging techniques for elbow evaluation
in the setting of instability and reviews the osseous anatomy, as well as the anatomy
of the soft tissue stabilizers of the elbow. Anatomic variants, potential pitfalls
in imaging diagnosis, and the imaging findings associated with various types of elbow
instability are considered.
KEYWORDS
MR Imaging - elbow - instability
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Christine B ChungM.D.
University of California, San Diego, and VAHCS
3350 La Jolla Village Drive, La Jolla, CA 92161