Irreducible (nursemaid's) pulled elbow: a literature review of sonographic diagnostic criteria.

Overview

Pulled elbow, colloquially named nursemaid's elbow, is an injury that results from annular ligament displacement and interposition between the radial head and capitellum. There is a paucity of literature describing the sonographic findings of pulled elbow. Given that this condition is primarily diagnosed clinically, radiographs are typically only obtained when there is concern for fracture. Sonographic evaluation is most useful in cases when attempted reduction is unsuccessful and radiographs are negative for fracture. This review describes the essential pathoanatomy needed for accurate sonographic diagnosis, which has previously been described with cadaveric research and a small number of case reports.