Description
- Intermittent elbow locking is often caused by loose bodies.1
- Elbow locking can be associated with elbow stiffness and a decrease in range of motion (ROM).
Pathophysiology
- Elbow locking may arise from injury, post-traumatic arthritis, osteoarthritis (OA) or rheumatoid arthritis (RA). In rare cases, it may be related to synovial chondromatosis or pigmented villonodular synovitis (PVNS).2
- Often intra-articular elbow pathology leads to contracture of the articular capsule, collateral ligaments and muscles.3
Instructions
- Before examining the elbow, assess the shoulder, wrist and hand.4
- Examine for joint catching or locking of the affected elbow.1
- Check the contralateral elbow for comparison.
Variations
- Other symptoms to consider include instability, snapping or deterioration in athletic aptitude.4
Related Signs and Tests
- Elbow ROM
- Elbow crepitus
- Vascular exam
- Radiography
- Ultrasound
- Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)
Diagnostic Performance Characteristics
- To improve reliability in the detection of loose bodies, other related tests should be used. Ultrasound is especially effective because it can reveal the size and composition of loose bodies.5
- In recent years, MRI has become more useful in the detection of non-ossified intra-articular loose bodies.2