Simple posterolateral elbow dislocations (SPLED) may be treated nonoperatively using closed reduction, followed by controlled mobilization. However, the extent of soft tissue injuries might affect the choice of treatment, rehabilitation approach, and prognosis. The purpose of this study is to compare the characteristics of soft tissue injuries between patients with unstable and stable SPLED using MRI findings. Thirty MRIs of elbows with SPLED (unstable group (n = 15); stable group (n = 15)) were randomly reviewed by two experienced musculoskeletal radiologists. Soft tissue injuries were characterized as an intact, partial tear or complete tear for the: medial collateral ligament (MCL) complex, common flexor complex, lateral collateral ligament (LCL) complex, common extensor complex, anterior capsule, and posterior capsule. Moderate to substantial interobserver reliability and substantial to perfect intraobserver reliability were observed for medial and lateral complexes in SPLED. The proportion of soft-tissue injuries of the common extensor complex were significantly different between the unstable (four partial tears and 11 complete tears) and stable groups (11 partial tears and four complete tears). In conclusion, based on MRI findings, the degree of common extensor complex injuries may be a predictor of stability and help inform treatment decisions for SPLED.
Keywords: MRI; dislocation; elbow; ligament; tear; tendon.