Diagnostic imaging for Elbow Pain
Is diagnostic imaging useful to find out the cause of elbow pain? In some cases, it can be. For instance, plain radiographs are useful to diagnose fractures and bone-related problems in case of trauma. They are also helpful to diagnose joint effusion or chronic conditions such as bone spurs and enthesopathy.
MRI scans can be used to find pathologic conditions that contribute to the symptoms in patients with chronic elbow pain resistant to treatment. This is useful to diagnose tendinopathies, joint effusions, or nerve entrapment. It is also a useful way to diagnose ligament tear and osteochondral defects. An inexpensive alternative to MRI scans is ultrasonography, which can have a high sensitivity to diagnose elbow tendinopathies.
Another type of study available to diagnose these patients is electromyography, a nerve conduction study. This test is helpful to rule out radiculopathies and diagnose compressive neuropathy.