Elbow ultrasonography is a feasible and useful diagnostic method for the evaluation of tendons, muscles, ligaments, nerves and joints in traumatic or articular disorders as well as for the diagnosis of rare tumorous diseases. This pictorial essay discusses the basic techniques of elbow ultrasonography, sonographic anatomy and various types of elbow pathology with associated sonographic features.
Diagnosis* ; Elbow Joint* ; Elbow* ; Joints ; Ligaments ; Muscles ; Pathology ; Tendons ; Ultrasonography

Some baseball pichers have the symptom-complex of the elbow joint due to repetitive throwing. The Hyperextension overload syndrome is symptom-complex caused by impingement between olecranon tip and fossa during hyperextension of the elbow. The patients of hyperextension overload syndrome is have some pathology of his elbow such as bony spur on olecranon tip, intra-articular loose body or degenerative arthritis. And they complaint of pain or limitation of extension. The authors diagnosed and treated five cases of hyperextension overload syndrome. All of them had flexion contracture. Three cases of them had cubitus valgus. But no had medial instability of the elbow. Three cases of them had tenderness on the olecranon tip. Four patients treated by excision of osteophyte or loose body with arthroscopic or open operative technique.
Baseball ; Contracture ; Elbow Joint ; Elbow ; Humans ; Olecranon Process ; Osteoarthritis ; Osteophyte ; Pathology

Adult ; Chondromatosis, Synovial ; pathology ; surgery ; Elbow Joint ; pathology ; surgery ; Humans ; Male

OBJECTIVETo introduce the experiences of applying MR to diagnose the imaging characters in chronic injury of the elbows in athletes.

METHODSFrom September 2005 to May 2008, 40 elbows of 34 athletes, included 21 males and 13 females,aged from 6 to 16 years old, averaged (12.3 +/- 3.1) years were taken axial, saggital and coronal planes MR Imaging.

RESULTSMagnetic resonance imaging showed thickening and effusion of olecranon synovial plicaes, bone marrow edema of lower humeral ossification, radial head, olecranon, ulna coronoid, ulnar collateral ligament trauma in chronic injury of the elbow joint.

CONCLUSIONMRI is a susceptible method for the diagnoses of chronic injury of the elbow.

Adolescent ; Athletic Injuries ; pathology ; Child ; Chronic Disease ; Elbow Joint ; injuries ; Female ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Male

Adult ; Arnold-Chiari Malformation ; diagnosis ; Elbow Joint ; pathology ; Female ; Humans ; Syringomyelia ; diagnosis

Open anterior dislocation of the hip is a very rare injury, especially in adults. It is a hyperabduction, external rotation and extension injury. Its combination with open posterior dislocation of the elbow has not been described in English language-based medical literature. Primary resuscitation, debridement, urgent reduction of dislocation, and adequate antibiotic support resulted in good clinical outcome in our patient. At 18 months follow-up, no signs of avascular necrosis of the femoral head or infection were observed.
Accidents, Traffic ; Elbow Joint ; injuries ; Hip Dislocation ; complications ; pathology ; Humans ; Joint Dislocations ; complications ; Male ; Soft Tissue Injuries ; complications ; Young Adult

OBJECTIVETo explore the optimal method for the treatment of the elbow joint stiffness accompanied with neural injury after electrical injury.

METHODSThirty adult cadaver elbows were fixed and dissected to observe the attachments of the ligaments and the muscles around the joint, and its relationship with the major nerves. Ten patients with electric burns with stiffness of the elbow joint were treated by means of loosening the anterior and posterior fascicles of radial and ulnar collateral ligaments, at the same time down shifting the insertion of flexor muscles, replacing the ulnar nerve anteriorly, in order to reconstruct flexor and extension functions of the elbow. The effect was evaluated with biomechanics criteria.

RESULTSThrough anatomical study, it was revealed that contracture of the posterior fascicles of the radial and ulnar collateral ligaments and triceps brachii muscle would result in stiffness of the elbow joint, and contracture due to disuse of the two anterior fascicles of the radial and ulnar collateral ligaments and M.biceps brachii would produce flexion deformity of the elbow joint. Postoperatively, the functions of the elbow joints of all the 10 patients recovered satisfactorily. Follow-up from 1 to 3 years showed no change in the range of flexion and extension movements of the elbows, and on the contrary, mobility of the elbow joints was improved.

CONCLUSIONLoosening of the anterior and posterior fascicles of the two collateral ligaments and replacement of insertions of biceps and triceps are pivotal in the treatment of stiffness of the elbow joint. Meanwhile lowering the origins of forearm flexor muscles on epicondylus and replacing anteriorly the ulnar nerve can further improve the flexion, function of the joint and relieve compression of the nerve.

Adult ; Ankylosis ; etiology ; pathology ; therapy ; Burns, Electric ; complications ; pathology ; therapy ; Elbow Joint ; anatomy & histology ; pathology ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged

PURPOSE: Displaced medial humeral epicondyle fractures with or without elbow dislocation have been treated with open reduction and fixation using K-wires or screws. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the clinical and radiological outcomes of surgical treatments of medial humeral epicondyle fracture without elbow dislocation according to the fixation methods. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Thirty-one patients who had undergone open reduction and fixation of the displaced medial humeral epicondyle fracture without elbow dislocation were included. Group I consisted of 21 patients who underwent fixation with K-wires, and Group II comprised 10 patients who underwent fixation with cannulated screws. Immediate postoperative, final follow-up and normal anteroposterior radiographs were compared and the clinical outcome was assessed using the final Japanese Orthopaedic Association (JOA) elbow assessment score. RESULTS: On the immediate postoperative radiographs, the distal humeral width in Group II was larger than that in Group I. On the final follow-up radiographs, the epicondylar position in Group I was lower than that in Group II. There was no significant difference in the distal humeral width, epicondylar position and joint space tilt between the immediate postoperative, final follow-up radiographs and the normal side within each group. There was no significant difference in the final JOA score between groups. CONCLUSION: Open reduction followed by K-wire fixation or screw fixation of the displaced medial humeral epicondyle fracture without elbow dislocation in older children and adolescents resulted in improved radiologic outcome and good elbow function in spite of diverse radiologic deformities.
Adolescent ; Bone Screws ; Bone Wires ; Child ; Dislocations/*prevention & control ; Elbow Joint/*pathology ; Female ; Humans ; Humeral Fractures/*surgery ; Male

Adult ; Elbow Joint ; injuries ; Female ; Humans ; Musculoskeletal Manipulations ; Shoulder Dislocation ; diagnostic imaging ; pathology ; physiopathology ; therapy ; Shoulder Fractures ; diagnostic imaging ; pathology ; physiopathology ; therapy ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

OBJECTIVETo explore the causes and mechanisms of children elbow joint injury led to elbow varus.

METHODSOne hundred children with elbow varus causded by elbow joint injuries were retrospectively studied during January 2005 to April 2008 in department of child orthopedics involving 54 males and 46 females with an average age of 9.7 years old ranging from 7 to 16 years. The anterior-posterior and lateral position X-ray films of elbow joint continuous 12 to 18 months (means 15 months) of all the cases were collected. The postoperative X-ray films were observed to analyze the cause of elbow varus.

RESULTSThere were 81 cases caused by epiphyseal dysplasia, growth imbalance, included 47 cases of humeral supracondylar fractures, 16 cases of entire epiphysis separation of distal humerus, 11 cases of humeral lateral condyle fractures, 7 cases of humeral medial condyle fractures. There were 19 cases caused by ulna drift and rotation of the distal fracture end,the ulnaris cortibal bone crushing and collapse involving 11 of humeral supracondylar fractures, 2 of entire epiphysis separation of distal humerus, 5 of humeral lateral condyle fractures, 1 of humeral medial condyle fractures.

CONCLUSIONThere are two main factors of formation for the children elbow varus deformity: the main causes is epiphysial dysplasia after fracture and imbalance growth of epiphysis; the secondary reasons is ulnar inclination of the distal fracture, rotation of the distal fracture, fracture shift such as ulnar bone cortical extrusion collapse.

Adolescent ; Child ; Elbow Joint ; diagnostic imaging ; injuries ; pathology ; surgery ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Fractures, Bone ; diagnostic imaging ; etiology ; surgery ; Humans ; Male ; Retrospective Studies ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed