Presentation
Pain and swelling at left elbow after trauma
Patient Data
Age: 55 years
Gender: Female
From the case:
Elbow joint effusion - fat pad sign
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- On lateral view, anterior fat pad sign (sail sign) and posterior fat pad sign indicate joint effusion.
- A non-displaced radial head fracture is also seen on AP (frontal) view
Case Discussion
In the presence of joint effusion, the anterior fat pad shows elevation/displacement and it is called ‘anterior fat pad sign’, posterior fad pad becomes visible and it is called ‘posterior fat pad sign’.
The most common cause of elbow joint effusion is radial head fracture in adults.