Elbow Injury: MRI Pitfalls

The elbow is a complex hinge synovial joint. It is comprised of three bones and three articulations, allowing for flexion, extension, supination, and pronation of the forearm. The elbow is less commonly imaged than many of the other large joints in the musculoskeletal system, usually limited to competitive and recreational athletes, as well as those sustaining chronic repetitive occupational injuries. The combination of complex bony and soft tissue anatomy, as well as inexperience related to the lower frequency of imaging, can render interpretation of elbow magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) particularly vulnerable to mistakes in interpretation. Such pitfalls may result from artifacts from MRI sequences or patient positioning; they may be due to normal anatomy that may mimic pathology; or they may be due to normal variant anatomy that may mimic pathology.