Imaging of Sports Injuries of the Elbow

The elbow, compared to the lower extremity and shoulder, is much less involved in sports injuries in general; however in specific sports it is nevertheless quite common (e.g., gymnastics). Acute injuries are relatively rare and most injuries are the result of overuse. From a biomechanical standpoint two major mechanisms are responsible for this. The first is the athlete who is involved in sports that require a large number of the same repetitive movements like in baseball, specifically in pitchers. The second mechanism is seen in athletes who basically use their arm as a weight-bearing limb like in gymnastics or weightlifting. All known imaging modalities are useful in elbow imaging each with their own merit. Plain films is almost always the first imaging modality used. The clinical situation and the findings on plain films direct the next step of imaging (if necessary). For the evaluation of the soft tissues ultrasound will usually suffice but if more information is needed, especially for the evaluation of the joint, MRI and CT both play important roles. It has to be emphasized that both have their own merits and that they often are complementary to each other.