[The supinator fat line--its visualization and validity]

Based on 259 lateral x-ray films of the elbows of healthy subjects, the typical forms of the fat plane overlying the supinator muscle were determined. The forms of this plane in 121 patients who had suffered bony lesions in the elbow joint region were juxtaposed to these x-ray images. Measurements of the proximal distance between the fat plane and the extended tangent of the anterior humeral cortex layer revealed that distances of more than 13 mm in children and of more than 18 mm in adults are highly suspicious of a fracture. The good visualisation of the fat plane by means of various imaging methods is appropriately demonstrated.