Magnetic resonance imaging of the elbow

Alecio Lombardi; Aria Ashir; Tetyana Gorbachova; Mihra S Taljanovic; Eric Y Chang

doi:10.5114/pjr.2020.98691

Magnetic resonance imaging of the elbow

Pol J Radiol. 2020 Aug 21:85:e440-e460. doi: 10.5114/pjr.2020.98691. eCollection 2020.

Authors

Alecio Lombardi^{1

2}, Aria Ashir^{2

3}, Tetyana Gorbachova⁴, Mihra S Taljanovic^{5

6}, Eric Y Chang^{1

2}

Affiliations

¹ Research Service, VA San Diego Healthcare System, San Diego, CA, USA.
² Department of Radiology, University of California, San Diego, CA, USA.
³ Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
⁴ Department of Radiology, Einstein Healthcare Network, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
⁵ Department of Medical Imaging, University of Arizona/Banner University Medical Center, Tucson, AZ, USA.
⁶ Simon Med Imaging, Scottsdale, AZ, USA.

Abstract

Elbow pain can cause disability, especially in athletes, and is a common clinical complaint for both the general practitioner and the orthopaedic surgeon. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is an excellent tool for the evaluation of joint pathology due to its high sensitivity as a result of high contrast resolution for soft tissues. This article aims to describe the normal imaging anatomy and biomechanics of the elbow, the most commonly used MRI protocols and techniques, and common MRI findings related to tendinopathy, ligamentous and osteochondral injuries, and instability of the elbow.

Keywords: MRI; biceps brachii; cubital tunnel syndrome; elbow; epicondylosis; radial tunnel syndrome.

Publication types

Review