Hong Kong Journal of Radiology | 2019
Computed Tomography for Elbow Fractures: Adding Value to the Radiology Report
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Computed tomography (CT) is frequently performed for elbow trauma and is regarded as a cornerstone for fracture pattern delineation and operative planning by the orthopaedic surgeon. Generating elbow trauma CT reports is superficially simple, but involves challenges in knowing what each component in an injury pattern means, understanding what impact it has on the treatment, and conveying the findings with precision and clarity using lexicon and classification systems that are comprehensible to the orthopaedic surgeon. We review several commonly encountered elbow injuries, highlight key points in the description of these injuries, and suggest ways in which the radiologist can add value to the radiology report.