Sail sign (elbow)
Citation, DOI, disclosures and article data
Citation:
Gaillard F, Ranchod A, Feger J, et al. Sail sign (elbow). Reference article, Radiopaedia.org (Accessed on 20 Mar 2025) https://doi.org/10.53347/rID-2014
rID:
2014
Article created:
Disclosures:
At the time the article was created Frank Gaillard had no recorded disclosures.
View Frank Gaillard's current disclosures
Last revised:
Disclosures:
At the time the article was last revised Frank Gaillard had no financial relationships to ineligible companies to disclose.
View Frank Gaillard's current disclosures
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Synonyms:
- Sail sign - elbow
- Elbow sail sign
- Sail sign of elbow
- Anterior fat pad sign
The sail sign on an elbow radiograph, also known as the anterior fat pad sign, describes the elevation of the anterior fat pad to create a silhouette similar to a billowing spinnaker sail from a boat. It indicates the presence of an elbow joint effusion.
The anterior fat pad is usually concealed within the coronoid fossa or seen parallelling the anterior humeral line. When there is a joint effusion, the anterior fat pad (which is intra-articular, but extrasynovial) becomes elevated.
On this page:
Related pathology
Elevation of the anterior fat pad usually heralds the presence of an intra-articular fracture. In adults, this is usually a radial head fracture whereas in children, the commonest cause of a raised elbow fat pad is a supracondylar fracture.
Clinical importance
In the context of acute trauma, where an anterior fat pad is raised and no fracture is demonstrated, an occult fracture should be suspected. The olecranon fossa is deeper than the coronoid fossa, thus the visualisation of the posterior fat pad is almost always pathological.
Video
See also
-
sail sign: the raised anterior fat pad on an elbow radiograph
thymic sail sign: normal thymus on a paediatric chest radiograph
spinnaker-sail sign (angel wing sign): thymus outlined in pneumomediastinum
retrocardiac sail sign: left lower lobe collapse on a chest radiograph
laryngeal sail sign: unilateral dilated laryngeal ventricle in vocal cord paralysis
References
- 1. Helms CA. Fundamentals of skeletal radiology. W B Saunders Co. (2005) ISBN:0721605702. Read it at Google Books - Find it at Amazon
- 2. Pretorius ES, Solomon JA, Katz DS. Radiology secrets. Mosby Inc. (2006) ISBN:0323034055. Read it at Google Books - Find it at Amazon
- 3. Brant WE, Helms CA. Fundamentals of diagnostic radiology. Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. (2007) ISBN:0781765188. Read it at Google Books - Find it at Amazon
- 4. The Thymus: Diagnostic Imaging, Functions, and Pathologic Anatomy (Medical Radiology). Springer. ISBN:3642841945. Read it at Google Books - Find it at Amazon
Incoming Links
Articles:
- Occult fracture
- Elbow joint effusion
- Joint effusion
- Fracture
- Signs article structure
- Sail sign (disambiguation)
- Adult chest radiograph common exam pathology
- Supracondylar humeral fracture
- Adult elbow radiograph (an approach)
- Thymic sail sign
- Inanimate object inspired signs
- Radial head fracture
- Elbow series (paediatric)
- Posterior fat pad sign (elbow)
- Elbow (lateral view)
- Elbow radiograph (an approach)
Cases:
- Medial epicondyle fracture
- Subtle radial head fracture
- Supracondylar humeral fracture
- Distal humerus fracture (acute flexion AP views)
- Occult fracture of radial head
- Radial head comminuted fracture
- Radial head fracture
- Supracondylar fracture
- Elbow joint effusion
- Supracondylar fracture of the humerus with sail sign
- Radial head fracture and posterior fat pad sign
- Olecranon fracture
- Radial head fracture
- Pediatric supracondylar fracture
- Radial head fracture
- Radial head occult fracture
- Humeral avulsion of the lateral collateral ligament of the elbow
- Fracture of capitellum and humeral trochlea - Mckee double arc sign
- Radial head and coronoid process fractures
- Supracondylar fracture
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zebra sign (disambiguation)
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