Abstract
Lateral elbow pain is often attributed to degenerative or posttraumatic impairment
of the common extensor tendon. Ultrasonography assesses the soft tissue structures
of the lateral elbow, allowing the differentiation between various underlying processes,
including angiofibroblastic degeneration, hyaline degeneration, and inflammation,
and exclusion of other possible causes of pain such as posterior interosseous and
lateral antebrachial nerve compression. Furthermore, the real-time imaging nature
of ultrasonography enables the detection of impingement of the lateral synovial fold,
degenerative changes in the elbow recess, and elbow posterolateral instability during
dynamic maneuvers. Ultrasonography is widely accessible and well tolerated by patients,
making it a perfect method for establishing an initial diagnosis and monitoring the
healing process. This review describes the possible causes of lateral elbow pain and
their ultrasonographic differentiation.
Key words
elbow - ultrasound - pain - lateral
