Sirisha Jasti MD, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

Kenneth Badillo MD, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

Amira Fahmy Farouga MBBCh, Presenter: Nothing to Disclose

Gregory Dieudonne MD, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

Johnny Uzoma Valmon Monu MD, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

The elbow joint is one of the less frequently imaged of the large joints. It is unclear if this results because if diagnosis can be accomplished without imaging or if the elbow is less often afflicted by disease. The purpose of this study is to document the occurrence and patterns of disease diagnosed around the elbow in a tertiary care center.

Using data from our radiology information systems we identified 500 consecutive MRI studies of the elbow. The imaging reports were analyzed for the radiologic diagnoses and which was then correlated with the clinical data. The more common observations were analyzed for age and gender distribution. The age distribution for our analysis was 0-20, 21-40, 41 -60, 61 -100.

500 (321 males and 179 females) patients were seen over a 50 month period (Jan. 2007 to March 2011) at our imaging facilities for MRI of the elbow. Of this number 44% (137 males and 81 females) of the patients were aged between 41 and 60 years; 27% of the patients were aged 20 years or less and about 19% of the patients were aged between 21 and 40 years.  MRI studies were negative in 19% (97 patients) of the cases. There were 51 (10%) cases of biceps tendon tears and 26 (5%) cases of triceps tendon tears. Most of the muscle tears occurred in males. There were 29 (6%) fractures, 23 (5%) intraarticular bodies, 19 (4%) OCDs and 15 (3%) mass lesions. Tendinopathy (20%) and various degrees of ligamental strain (16%) are very common observations around the elbow. MRI  showed similar distribution pattern for these two entities in both genders. 

The age group between 41 and 60 years is rather prone to muscle tears. Around the elbow,.biceps tendon tear is the more common injury followed by triceps tendon injury.   These muscle tears occured mostly amongst male patients.

The apparent lack of enthusiasm for elbow MRI may be partly explained by a rate of nearly 20% for normal MRIs of the elbow. Yet only about 10% or less of the diagnoses can be made without use of MRI

Jasti, S, Badillo, K, Farouga, A, Dieudonne, G, Monu, J, Distribution of Disease around the Elbow on MRI: Preliminary Observations.  Radiological Society of North America 2011 Scientific Assembly and Annual Meeting, November 26 - December 2, 2011 ,Chicago IL. http://archive.rsna.org/2011/11034534.html