Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 25, 2026
07:56
A Standardized Method for Measurement of Elbow Kinesthesia
Published on: October 10, 2020
Elbow radiographic anatomy: measurement techniques and normative data.
Charles A Goldfarb1, J Megan M Patterson, Melanie Sutter
1Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Shriners Hospital for Children and Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA. goldfarbc@wustl.edu
Journal of Shoulder and Elbow Surgery
|February 15, 2012
Summary
Radiographic elbow anatomy in adolescents is largely consistent across age and sex, though some common measurement tools lack reliability. This study establishes normal parameters for diagnosing adolescent elbow injuries.
Area of Science:
- Orthopaedic surgery
- Radiology
- Adolescent medicine
Background:
- Adolescent elbow pathology is increasing with sports participation.
- Limited data on normal anatomy hinders injury diagnosis.
- Establishing normative radiographic parameters is crucial.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate normal radiographic elbow anatomy in adolescents.
- To establish parameters for diagnosing abnormal development.
- To assess the reliability and variance of measurements by age and sex.
Main Methods:
- Independent evaluation of 178 adolescent/young adult elbow radiographs by 3 orthopaedic surgeons.
- Performed 14 radiographic measurements, including radial neck-shaft angle and articular surface morphology.
- Statistical analysis by age and sex, assessing inter- and intraobserver reliability.
Main Results:
- Distal humerus articular surface matures with age, becoming more contoured.
- Measurements showed minimal, clinically insignificant differences between sexes and age groups, except for a larger carrying angle in females.
- Inter- and intraobserver reliability varied, with some common tools demonstrating poor reliability.
Conclusions:
- Most radiographic measures are consistent across adolescent age groups and between sexes.
- Several frequently used elbow assessment tools exhibit poor reliability.
- Findings aid in diagnosing adolescent elbow pathologies by providing normative data.
