Nerve entrapment syndromes of the elbow, forearm, and wrist

Nerve entrapment syndromes usually have typical clinical presentations and findings on physical examination. Imaging can be used to evaluate a structural cause of the entrapment, such as a mass or enlarged muscle or to show secondary findings that confirm the diagnosis, such as nerve swelling or muscle edema or atrophy. This article will review entrapment syndromes of the elbow, forearm, and wrist.

To make an accurate assessment of the images, the radiologist must know the normal anatomy of the nerve, the places where the nerve can be compressed, and the muscles that are innervated by a particular nerve.