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Our hands perform a huge amount of manipulation every day, and quite by accident or through negligence, an elbow injury can occur, or frequent inflammatory lesions can develop. The elbow joint is a complex mechanism, because it combines three bones to which three types of joints are attached – radioulnar, humeroradial and humeroulnar. All this is combined in one capsule. The elbow joint itself has a wide range of movements – flexion and extension, rotation around its axis. Also in this area are important blood vessels, nerves that can be damaged in elbow injuries. Due to this structure, various invisible pathologies can often occur in the joint that doctors cannot see with a standard x-ray.
If you feel pain when bending, stretching the forearm, swelling, discomfort, there was an injury in this area, you should definitely consult a doctor, as this may be a manifestation of the disease.
The doctor, after prescribing radiography, may prescribe a more accurate diagnostic method for more detailed clarification – computed tomography (CT) of the elbow joint.
What is this diagnostic method
Computed tomography is a research method that visualizes the structure of the elbow joint, penetrating this area with X-ray beams.
These beams, in turn, are generated in the ray tubes of a computer device and then, unevenly impregnating tissue with different densities, exit and are recorded by sensitive sensors. Then there is a computer processing of the results obtained during the research for subsequent analysis of the data on a computer monitor.
This procedure allows you to view the analyzed part in 3D format, namely the layered structure of the joint, which has a high detailed diagnostic value in the detection of pathologies.
Computer scanning allows you to see a possible pathology in the anatomical structure of the human elbow joint, inflammation, degenerative-dystrophic, destructive process in the elbow joint, the presence of a possible tumor growth.
The images also clearly show fragments nearby, such as the ulna, humerus, and radius bones, passing blood vessels, nerves, and tendons.
When is a CT scan of the elbow indicated?
The doctor prescribes this study when there is or is suspected of:
- joint and bone injuries in the elbow area;
- benign or malignant neoplasm;
- inflammatory and degenerative disease – arthritis, arthrosis, osteomyelitis, osteochondropathy, epicondylitis;
- anomaly in the development of the elbow joint;
- diffuse autoimmune connective tissue diseases (rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus, rheumatism);
- accumulation of fluid in the joint cavity (blood, pus);
- foreign bodies in the joint and the structures that surround it;
- preoperative diagnostics and tracking the dynamics of treatment results.
This study is often carried out in a planned manner, but sometimes emergency diagnostics are also needed. For example, with a supracondylar fracture of the shoulder above the elbow joint, there is a violation of blood circulation in the entire upper limb. This can lead to hand deformity, muscle atrophy, ischemic contracture. This problem cannot be detected with a conventional x-ray, so a mandatory CT scan of the elbow joint is necessary.
Contraindications to CT
Computed tomography is not recommended if the patient is under 14 years old, if this study will aggravate the course of the disease, can be harmful to health and adversely affect the general condition of the patient. Also, if the patient is overweight, the weight is more than 150 kg, then due to a purely technical limitation, a CT scan cannot be performed.
CT is contraindicated for pregnant women, because X-rays can adversely affect the development and future health of the fetus, especially in the early stages of pregnancy, when the genetic apparatus of the embryo can be damaged.
Do not use contrast agents in patients with mild or severe allergy to iodine, which is part of the contrast. After all, a severe anaphylactic reaction can develop and this creates a great threat to human life.
Also, CT with contrast cannot be performed in patients with renal insufficiency, with endocrine diseases of the thyroid gland, and with severe heart failure. For example, in a patient with renal insufficiency, toxic adverse effects may occur through impaired excretion of contrast agents from the body.
And when a large dosage of iodine is ingested, in patients with thyroid problems, a significant deterioration in the state of the clinical manifestations of diseases can be observed.
Preparation for the event
Computed tomography of the elbow joint can be with or without contrast. Contrasting is the use of a special dye that improves the visualization of muscle fibers, ligaments and tendons. With its help, it is easier to determine the pathology of soft tissues. The substance is administered intravenously by a nurse and excreted from the body after 1-2 days.
Special preparation for an examination without contrast in this area is not required, the nuances (for example, the position of the hands during a CT scan of the elbow joint) will be told to the patient immediately before the procedure itself.
The contrast itself is rarely used, only when there is a suspicion of neoplasms or it is necessary to study the soft tissues of the elbow joint. Before this diagnostic method, the patient must refrain from eating four to six hours before the procedure.
Be sure to tell your doctor if you have an allergic reaction to iodine or iodine-containing products, if you are taking any medications, and if you have concomitant diseases.
You will also be asked to remove jewelry or other items containing metal.
What’s good about this method
CT of the elbow joint is painless, relatively fast – up to five minutes without contrast and about 20-30 minutes with the use of contrast agents and an informative research method.
Computed tomography has a low radiation dose, since the X-ray beam only hits the desired area to be examined. CT clearly reveals pathological changes in the skeletal system, blood vessels and nerves.
Usually, doctors prescribe computed tomography of the elbow joints after ultrasound or X-ray, the most inexpensive diagnostic methods. Only with a low result of such diagnostic methods, the patient is prescribed computed tomography.
An alternative method for studying soft tissue injuries is magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Magnetic waves detect the pathology of all structures, but this procedure is quite expensive. And only the choice of research methods depends on the alleged diagnosis and the doctor.
In the end, computed tomography of the elbow cannot be called the only and most important method for diagnosing diseases of the elbow joint. It will be well used for violations of bone structures and as an addition to other diagnostic procedures.
CT is widely used by oncologists, traumatologists, surgeons, rheumatologists, neurologists, and therapists. A CT scan of the joints can help avoid unnecessary surgery, create an effective treatment regimen, and determine the cause of joint pain or discomfort.