title: Elbow stiffness: effectiveness of conventional radiography and CT to explain osseous causes.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of our study was to evaluate the effectiveness of conventional radiography and CT for explaining the osseous causes of elbow stiffness.
  
  
  METHODS
  Two independent readers analyzed loose bodies and osteophytes on conventional radiography and CT (or CT arthrography) of the elbow in 94 consecutive patients (71 men, 23 women; mean age, 41 years; range, 18-68 years). Arthroscopic or surgical correlation was available in 58 (62%) patients. In all 94 patients, the expected restriction of motion was measured on images and correlated (Pearson's correlation) with the clinical restriction of motion. Kappa statistics were performed for interobserver agreement.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Accuracy for detecting loose bodies was 67% with conventional radiography and 79% with CT. Differences in accuracy were most pronounced for detecting loose bodies in the posterior joint space (64% for conventional radiography vs 79% for CT). Accuracy for detecting osteophytes was 69% with conventional radiography and 76% with CT. Expected restriction of motion on conventional radiography correlated significantly with clinical restriction for only one reader for flexion (R = 0.21, p = 0.04). Expected restriction of extension on CT correlated significantly with clinical restriction of motion by both readers (R = 0.34 and 0.33, p = 0.001 and 0.001, respectively). Expected restriction of flexion on CT correlated significantly by one reader (R = 0.24, p = 0.02). Interobserver agreement with regard to detection of both loose bodies and osteophytes was higher for CT (kappa = 0.83 and 0.76) than for conventional radiography (0.64 and 0.60).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  CT is more effective than conventional radiography in explaining the osseous causes of elbow stiffness.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Orthopedic University Hospital Balgrist, CH-8008 Zurich, Switzerland. veronika.zubler@balgrist.ch
authors.forename: Veronika
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Zubler
authors.forename: Nadja
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Saupe
authors.forename: Bernhard
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Jost
authors.forename: Christian W A
authors.initials: CW
authors.lastname: Pfirrmann
authors.forename: Juerg
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hodler
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zanetti
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001175:Arthrography / Q000379:methods*; D001182:Arthroscopy; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D004551:Elbow Joint / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007592:Joint Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D007594:Joint Loose Bodies / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D054850:Osteophyte / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000379:methods*; D016896:Treatment Outcome