MRT of the elbow joint

An MRI of the elbow is always appropriate (indicated) if soft tissue damage in the area of the elbow is to be excluded. If a patient has “only” fractured a radius or ulna in the area of the elbow, an x-ray is usually sufficient to locate and assess the fracture. However, if the doctor suspects that muscles or tendons in the area of the elbow have also been injured, an additional MRI of the elbow should be made, since muscles and other soft tissues such as fat are almost impossible to assess in X-rays.

Drain and contrast medium

The procedure for an MRI examination of the elbow usually looks the same. First of all, it is important that the patient has been informed by a physician (in the best case the radiologist). Here the patient is also asked whether he has implanted metal or a pacemaker, as these are a criterion for exclusion from an MRI.

Now there are different possibilities to perform an MRI of the elbow. On the one hand, there is the possibility to do an MRI with contrast medium. The contrast medium is injected into the vein and is then distributed in the bloodstream.

The MRI image of the elbow now shows very clearly whether certain areas are filled with more contrast medium. This is always the case when a certain area has a higher blood flow, as is usually the case with tumors. This means that tumors can be better visualized with the help of the contrast agent, although tumors in the area of the elbow are rather rare.

More often, an MRI of the elbow is performed without contrast medium, as the contrast medium can also cause allergic reactions in some cases, as iodine-containing contrast medium is usually used. To do this, the patient has to lie down in a tube without having the contrast medium injected into the vein, in which the images of the elbow are taken. In most cases, the patient must lie on the abdomen so that the elbow area is shown completely and clearly. It is important that the patient removes all metal parts in or on the body before he lies down in the tube. Even if “only” the admission of the elbow is done, the navel piercing or other jewelry parts must be removed.