Albano Domenico, Di Rocco Gabriella, Gitto Salvatore, Serpi Francesca, Fusco Stefano, Vitali Paolo, Galia Massimo, Messina Carmelo, Sconfienza Luca Maria
IRCCS Istituto Ortopedico Galeazzi, Milan, Italy.
Dipartimento di Scienze Biomediche, Chirurgiche ed Odontoiatriche, Università Degli Studi di Milano, Milano, Italy.
Insights Imaging. 2025 Jan 29;16(1):24. doi: 10.1186/s13244-025-01901-1.
Entrapment neuropathies at the elbow are common in clinical practice and require an accurate diagnosis for effective management. Understanding the imaging characteristics of these conditions is essential for confirming diagnoses and identifying underlying causes. Ultrasound serves as the primary imaging modality for evaluating nerve structure and movement, while MRI is superior for detecting muscle denervation. Plain radiography and CT play a minor role and can be used for the evaluation of bony structures and calcifications/ossifications. Comprehensive knowledge of anatomical landmarks, nerve pathways, and compression sites is crucial for clinicians to accurately interpret imaging and guide appropriate treatment strategies for entrapments of ulnar, median, and radial nerves, and their branches. CRITICAL RELEVANCE STATEMENT: Accurate imaging and anatomical knowledge are essential for diagnosing elbow entrapment neuropathies. Ultrasound is the preferred modality for assessing nerve structure and motion, while MRI excels in detecting muscle denervation and guiding effective management of ulnar, median, and radial nerve entrapments. KEY POINTS: Ultrasound is the primary modality for assessing nerve structure and stability. Findings include nerve structural loss, isoechogenicity, thickening, and hyper-vascularization. MRI provides a comprehensive evaluation of the elbow and accurate muscle assessment. Imaging allows the identification of compressive causes, including anatomical variants, masses, or osseous anomalies. Awareness of anatomical landmarks, nerve pathways, and compression sites is essential.
肘部的卡压性神经病变在临床实践中很常见，需要准确诊断以进行有效治疗。了解这些疾病的影像学特征对于确诊和找出潜在病因至关重要。超声是评估神经结构和活动的主要影像学检查方法，而MRI在检测肌肉失神经方面更具优势。平片和CT作用较小，可用于评估骨质结构和钙化/骨化情况。全面了解解剖标志、神经走行和受压部位对于临床医生准确解读影像学检查结果并指导针对尺神经、正中神经和桡神经及其分支卡压的适当治疗策略至关重要。关键相关性声明：准确的影像学检查和解剖学知识对于诊断肘部卡压性神经病变至关重要。超声是评估神经结构和活动的首选方法，而MRI在检测肌肉失神经以及指导尺神经、正中神经和桡神经卡压的有效治疗方面表现出色。关键点：超声是评估神经结构和稳定性的主要方法。检查结果包括神经结构消失、等回声、增粗和血管增多。MRI可对肘部进行全面评估并准确评估肌肉情况。影像学检查有助于识别压迫性病因，包括解剖变异、肿块或骨性异常。了解解剖标志、神经走行和受压部位至关重要。
