Elbow question

[sgtjunior]

I got an xray of my elbow that's been a problem for years. 2 weeks ago it "popped" playing ball. I got an mri this morning and I'm waiting to go back to the ortho. But does anybody know what the hell this is, or someone who might. I figure I would ask before we get close to talk of cutting. tia

 

[ko67]

I am not a doctor but I showed this pic to my college roommate (the radiology professor) on my iphone. (we were having lunch today). I did not identify you. His off the record reading is that this is probably either a calcification of some degree of tendon rupture or it is an effluvia (leak) of sinovial (joint) fluid with bone chips in it. He could not tell for sure with the tiny picture on my phone. He said that the orthopedic surgeon should be able to tell for sure on the MRI , as liquid and solid look different. Either way, the doc should be able to clean that out with an arthoscopic surgery, altough and open surgery may be needed if the tendon is ruptured.. (You want this to be bone chips and not a ruptured tendon. Ask me how I know.) Keep in mind that my buddy is probably wrong and this is an injury from repetitive trauma like beating people with nightsticks or choking chickens.

Kev

 

[sgtjunior]

I am not a doctor - but I did stay at a Holiday Inn last night
and this is an injury from repetitive trauma like beating people with nightsticks or choking chickens.

Kev

How did you know I'm right handed? :confu

 

[Midlife]

It is definitely an elbow and not a knee.

 

[sgtjunior]

now that's the articulate insightful response I've grown accustomed to. :wor

 

[daveSanborn]

The bones of the elbow are entirely over-rated. Most of my left elbow was removed 35 years ago after it pretty much disintegrated and it hasn't slowed me down one bit. The ligament attach points at the elbow joint are what is important.

I didn't stay at a Holiday Inn last night, but your MRI picture looks to me like a calcium desposit typical with what you'd see with arthritis.