Elbow special and trauma views

Patient and part

When the patient cannot extend the elbow, a single AP superimposes the humerus and forearm. Take two AP partial-flexion projections instead. For the distal humerus, place the humerus flat on the IR with the forearm raised. For the proximal forearm, place the forearm flat on the IR with the humerus raised, and the hand supinated. When the elbow is held fully flexed, the Jones method takes the same two parts with the forearm folded up against the humerus. For trauma, when the patient cannot rotate the arm, the Coyle method gives axial laterals. The arm stays in the lateral position with the hand pronated. For the radial head, the elbow is flexed 90 degrees. For the coronoid process, it is flexed only 80 degrees. The radial head lateral series takes four laterals at 90 degrees with the hand supinated, lateral (thumb up), pronated and internally rotated as far as possible (thumb down), each turning a different part of the radial head into profile.