The elbow: MR features of nerve disorders

The authors retrospectively reviewed 15 magnetic resonance (MR) studies of elbows with radiographic evidence of nerve disorders. These 15 cases were selected from 55 MR studies of the elbow in patients referred for various complaints. MR images of the elbow of 10 healthy volunteers were also reviewed. Ulnar nerve disorders were seen in 11 cases. Three patients had median nerve disease, and one patient had a pathologic condition of the radial nerve. The following nerve abnormalities were detected: focal or diffuse nerve thickening, increased signal intensity on T2-weighted images, and course deviation due to either mass effect or spontaneous subluxation. Six of seven patients with nerve thickening, two of two patients with increased nerve signal intensity, and five of eight patients with nerve displacement complained of neurologic symptoms. Four of the patients underwent surgery; in each, surgical results confirmed the findings at MR. These results suggest that MR imaging has a potential role in the detection of nerve disorders at the elbow and in the guidance of treatment.