Sonin A H, Fitzgerald S W
Department of Radiology, Northwestern University Medical School, Chicago, IL 60611, USA.
AJR Am J Roentgenol. 1996 Aug;167(2):325-31. doi: 10.2214/ajr.167.2.8686595.
With an understanding of the normal anatomy of the elbow and a pertinent clinical history, MR imaging of the elbow need not be a source of fear and confusion for the MR radiologist. Because positioning and scan planning are not as straightforward as they are with other joints such as the knee or shoulder, these processes can be time-consuming. The position in which the patient is optimally scanned is inherently uncomfortable. In a busy MR center with rigorous time constraints, these factors and patient fatigue can limit the time available to acquire images. Thus, a tailored approach to designing a scanning protocol for the elbow is warranted. The preceding discussion attempts to address a streamlined approach to MR imaging of the more common pathologic processes occurring around the elbow. The sequences we have described may require some modification on different imaging systems to take into account variations in field strength and to account for disparity in hardware and software parameters of different vendors. In combination with the information provided in the clinical history, the guidelines we provide should serve as a general template upon which the practicing radiologist can base his or her approach to MR imaging of the elbow.
