The radiological findings in complex elbow fracture-dislocation injuries.

Elbow fracture-dislocation is a complex injury which can lead to significant bony and soft tissue damage. Surgical intervention is guided towards restoring joint stability, allowing early mobilization and preventing long-term joint stiffness. The most common types are posterolateral, posteromedial, Monteggia type (and variants), and anterior trans-olecranon fracture-dislocations. Posterolateral fracture-dislocation is characterized by a radial head fracture (± anterolateral coronoid fracture) and typically capsuloligamentous disruption (lateral collateral ligaments injury is the most common). A posterolateral fracture-dislocation with radial head and coronoid anterolateral facet fractures is termed a terrible triad injury. In posteromedial fracture-dislocation, there is a fracture of the anteromedial facet of the coronoid, typically with proximal avulsion of the lateral collateral ligaments (± injury to the posterior bundle of the ulnar collateral ligament). Monteggia fracture-dislocation injuries demonstrate proximal ulnar fracture (with possible involvement of the olecranon and the coronoid) and radial head dislocation. These can be divided into apex anterior or apex posterior variants. The latter are commonly associated with radial head fractures and lateral ligamentous injury, and have a worse prognosis. In trans-olecranon fracture-dislocation, there is significant disruption of the greater sigmoid notch and the olecranon, with various involvement of the coronoid and the proximal ulna. The article describes the radiological findings and outlines the management principles in complex elbow fracture-dislocation injuries.

The three-column concept of elbow joint stability and the Wrightington elbow fracture-dislocation classification, emphasizing the role of cross-sectional imaging.

Elbow fracture-dislocation is a complex injury with a combination of osseous and soft tissue disruption. Different classification systems have been used to describe the injury pattern and help guide the management. The article describes the important cross-sectional findings in complex elbow fracture-dislocation injuries based on the relatively new Wrightington classification. This includes the various elements and patterns seen in elbow fracture-dislocations providing a simple and comprehensive system to classify these injuries and help guide the surgical management. The article also describes the three-column concept of elbow joint stability, dividing the elbow joint osseous structures into lateral, middle and medial columns. Detailed radiological assessment of the fractures pattern is vital to understand the mechanism of injury, allowing clinicians to predict the associated capsuloligamentous injury and help guide the management decisions. The Wrightington elbow fracture-dislocation classification categorizes the injuries according to the ulnar coronoid process and radial head fractures. Type A is an anteromedial coronoid fracture. Type B is a bifacet or basal coronoid fracture, with B + indicating associated radial head fracture. Type C is a combined anterolateral facet and radial head or comminuted radial head fractures. Type D is a diaphyseal ulnar fracture, with D + indicating associated radial head fracture.

An OrthoRadiological review of superior capsularreconstruction in the shoulder.

Superior capsular reconstruction (SCR) is an emerging surgical technique used to treat patients with irreparable rotator cuff tears. In this procedure, a graft is attached between the superior glenoid and the greater tuberosity, with the aim of optimising glenohumeral joint function and stability. Pre-operative radiological evaluation of patients having such cuff tears is crucial for appropriate patient selection. Such imaging is particularly useful for the assessment of the cuff tear size and location, muscle wasting, fatty infiltration and the presence of any glenohumeral joint arthritis. In addition, post-operative imaging is useful in assessing graft integrity, with specific patterns of graft failure now being recognised on imaging. This article will discuss the indications and contraindications for this procedure, and review the biomechanical concepts of SCR in improving glenohumeral joint stability and restoring the force couples around the joint. The radiological appearances of the intact graft and the various patterns of graft failure will be illustrated, along with various radiological examples.

Role of dynamic ultrasound in assessment of the snapping elbow and distal biceps tendon injury.

Introduction: Ultrasound is useful in assessing patients with snapping syndromes around the elbow joint. The dynamic nature of the examination allows for direct visualisation of the underlying causative factor.Topic description: We discuss the role of dynamic ultrasound in assessing various snapping syndromes around the elbow, such as ulnar nerve instability, snapping triceps and less commonly, snapping brachialis. Ultrasound is also useful in evaluating the distal biceps tendon, particularly in differentiating partial from complete tendon injury. Discussion: Ulnar nerve instability and snapping triceps can be assessed via a medial approach with the transducer placed transversely between the medial epicondyle and the olecranon. In ulnar nerve instability, the nerve can be seen crossing over the medial epicondyle on elbow flexion. In snapping triceps syndrome, both the ulnar nerve and the distal triceps can be seen dislocating over the medial epicondyle. Dynamic assessment of the distal biceps tendon using a lateral approach minimises anisotropy artefact often seen on the anterior approach. Passive pronation and supination of the forearm will reveal little or no movement in a completely torn tendon whereas moving tendon fibres will be appreciated in partial tears. In a snapping brachialis, the medial portion of brachialis will be seen abnormally translocating anterolateral to the medial border of the trochlea during elbow flexion and snapping back into its normal position on elbow extension. Conclusion: Dynamic ultrasound of the elbow is valuable in diagnosing patients with snapping sensations around the joint and in evaluating the integrity of the distal biceps tendon.

Ultrasound assessment in distal biceps tendon injuries: Techniques, pearls and pitfalls.

Ultrasound assessment of the distal biceps tendon is challenging. The tendon has two components which are continuations of the long and short heads of the muscle, and these undergo 90° of rotation along their course. The tendon has a deep insertion to the radial tuberosity. Therefore, a combination of approaches and examination techniques are utilized to ensure complete evaluation. The various ultrasound approaches used to assess the distal biceps tendon, with their advantages and limitations, will be described. Selected examples of distal biceps tendon injuries, with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) correlation in challenging cases, will be demonstrated.

Posteromedial rotatory instability of the elbow: What the radiologist needs to know.

Varus posteromedial rotatory instability of the elbow joint is a relatively new subject described for the first time in 2003. It occurs secondary to axial loading of the elbow with varus force and internal rotation of the forearm. There is usually a specific pattern of osseous and soft tissue injuries that can be recognized on imaging. This includes an anteromedial coronoid fracture and avulsion of the lateral collateral ligament complex from its humeral attachment. Ulnar collateral ligament complex injury is also reported, particularly its posterior bundle which plays an important role in posteromedial elbow joint stability. There is high incidence of early osteoarthritis secondary to the resultant varus instability and increased contact pressure at the ulnohumeral joint. Surgical fixation of the coronoid fracture and ligamentous reconstruction maybe indicated to prevent this recurrent instability. The article reviews the key radiological features of posteromedial rotatory instability with multiple examples from different imaging modalities. The relevant anatomy of the elbow joint stabilising structures will be illustrated, in particular the coronoid process anatomy and the O'Driscoll classification for coronoid process fractures. Radiologists should be familiar with the imaging findings of posteromedial rotatory instability.

OMERACT Hip Inflammation Magnetic Resonance Imaging Scoring System (HIMRISS) Assessment in Longitudinal Study.

OBJECTIVE: To assess reliability, feasibility, and responsiveness of Hip Inflammation Magnetic resonance imaging Scoring System (HIMRISS) for bone marrow lesions (BML) in hip osteoarthritis (OA). METHODS: HIMRISS was scored by 8 readers in 360 hips of 90 patients imaged pre/post-hip steroid injection. Pre-scoring, new readers trained online to achieve intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) > 0.80 versus experts. RESULTS: HIMRISS reliability was excellent for BML status (ICC 0.83-0.92). Despite small changes post-injection, reliability of BML change scores was high in femur (0.76-0.81) and moderate in acetabulum (0.42-0.56). CONCLUSION: HIMRISS should be a priority for further assessment of hip BML in OA, and evaluated for use in other arthropathies.

The management of deep-seated, lowgrade lipomatous lesions.

Deep-seated, low-grade lipomatous lesions detected on imaging often cause uncertainty for diagnosis and treatment. Confidently distinguishing lipomas from well-differentiated liposarcomas is often not possible on imaging. The approach to management of such lesions varies widely between institutions. Applying an evidenced-based approach set around published literature that clearly highlights how criteria such as lesion size, location, age and imaging features can be used to predict the risk of well-differentiated liposarcomas and subsequent de-differentiation would seem sensible. Our aim is to review the literature and produce a unified, evidence-based guideline that will be a useful tool for managing these lesions.

Primary pleuropulmonary synovial sarcoma mimicking a carcinoid tumor: Case report and literature review.

Primary pleuropulmonary synovial sarcoma is a rare malignancy. Commonly described radiologic features in the literature include pleural disease and/or effusion, lack of calcification and high uptake on positron emission tomography computerised tomography. A 68-year-old woman presented with a 3-month history of cough. Imaging studies showed a right upper lobe mass with internal foci of calcification, endobronchial extension, and low fluorodeoxyglucose avidity on positron emission tomography computerised tomography, leading to an initial diagnosis of carcinoid tumor. However, histologic specimens suggested an unexpected diagnosis of aggressive synovial sarcoma, and the case was referred to the sarcoma MDT. Metastatic synovial sarcoma was ruled out, and radical surgical excision of the lesion was performed. This article highlights the multiple atypical features of primary pleuropulmonary synovial sarcoma as seen in this case and reviews imaging findings described in the literature. Radiologists should be aware of this unusual yet aggressive type of sarcoma.

Magnetic Resonance Arthrogram Referrals by Subspecialist and Non-Subspecialist Orthopaedic Surgeons: What are the Findings?

BACKGROUND: Although subspecialist orthopaedic surgeons usually request Magnetic Resonance Arthrogram (MRA) examinations, some orthopaedic surgeons may request this examination for a body part that is different from their subspecialty. The purpose of the study is to compare the MRA and the clinical findings in the subspecialist and non-subspecialist groups. METHOD: Retrospective analysis of MRA examinations over a 6-month period. Findings were compared with the clinical information. RESULTS: There were 144 examinations (69 shoulder, 42 wrist and 33 hip). 85% of these were subspecialist referrals; 60% of them showed findings compatible with the clinical diagnosis. 15% of the MRA examinations were non-subspecialist referrals; 52% of them correlated with the clinical findings. Overall, clinical information agreed with MRA findings for shoulder labral tears, hip labral tears and wrist triangular fibrocartilage complex tears in 63.3%, 64.5% and 61.5% respectively. The subspecialist group were more accurate than the non-subspecialist group in diagnosing hip labral tears (68% vs. 50%) and triangular fibrocartilage complex tears (62.5% vs. 50%). On the contrary, shoulder MRA and clinical findings correlated better in the non-subspecialist group (77.8%) compared to the subspecialist group (63.3%). However, the small number of requests generated by the non-subspecialist group may affect the results. Suspected scapholunate ligament injury showed low correlation with MRA at 26.7% (33.3% in the subspecialist group and 0% in the non-subspecialist group). CONCLUSION: Generally, the clinical findings are more accurate in the subspecialist referrals when compared to MRA findings and therefore a subspecialist referral is preferred. The low agreement between clinically suspected scapholunate ligament injuries and wrist MRA probably reflects the relative difficulty in establishing this diagnosis clinically.

Sarcoid tenosynovitis, rare presentation of a common disease. Case report and literature review.

Sarcoidosis is an idiopathic inflammatory disorder characterized by the presence of non-caseating tissue granulomas most commonly affecting lungs, lymph nodes and skin. Sarcoid skeletal involvement is relatively uncommon and in particular tenosynovitis. We describe an unusual case of sarcoidosis presenting with granulomatous tenosynovitis as the only manifestation of the disease, illustrating the radiological findings on different modalities followed by a review of the literature. Radiologists and clinicians should be aware of tenosynovitis as a manifestation of sarcoidosis as early and therefore appropriate treatment significantly alters patient's outcome and prognosis.

Pictorial essay of radiological features of benign intrathoracic masses.

With increased exposure of patients to routine imaging, incidental benign intrathoracic masses are frequently recognized. Most have classical imaging features, which are pathognomonic for their benignity. The aim of this pictorial review is to educate the reader of radiological features of several types of intrathoracic masses. The masses are categorized based on their location/origin and are grouped into parenchymal, pleural, mediastinal, or bronchial. Thoracic wall masses that invade the thorax such as neurofibromas and lipomas are included as they may mimic intrathoracic masses. All examples are illustrated and include pulmonary hamartoma, pleural fibroma, sarcoidosis, bronchial carcinoid, and bronchoceles together with a variety of mediastinal cysts on plain radiographs, computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Sometimes a multimodality approach would be needed to confirm the diagnosis in atypical cases. The study would include the incorporation of radionuclide studies and relevant discussion in a multidisciplinary setting.

Serial Ultrasonography Assessments of a Testicular Infarction Mimicking Testicular Tumor in a Behcet Disease Patient.

Behcet disease (BD), a vasculitic disease, may present with a broad range of systemic manifestations. Urologic complications are rarely described in the literature, but when they occur, they present as epididymo-orchitis. We describe a rare case of testicular infarction in a patient with BD followed up with serial ultrasound imaging. We highlight the diagnostic challenges when presented with testicular pain in a patient with BD and the potential consequences in the management.