title: Elbow MR imaging findings in patients with synovial fringe syndrome.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To describe imaging findings in patients with synovial fringe (SF) syndrome of the elbow and to compare with a control population.
  
  
  METHODS
  Nine patients (5 men, 4 women) whose mean age was 35.7 years were diagnosed with SF syndrome and had undergone preoperative elbow MRI. The radiohumeral (RH) plica was assessed for thickness, cross-sectional area, coverage of one third or more of the radial head, blunting of the free edge, and T2 signal intensity abnormality. Other abnormalities of the RH joint were also assessed, including adjacent articular cartilage defects, subcortical bone marrow signal abnormality in the capitellum, and synovitis. Results were compared with 15 control patients who were asymptomatic laterally and posteriorly.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Mean thickness and cross-sectional area of the RH plica were 1.8 mm and 19.4 mm(2) respectively in controls, compared with 2.5 mm and 21.9 mm(2) respectively in symptomatic patients. No statistically significant differences in the distribution of the mean thickness or cross-sectional area of the RH plica were found between the two groups. However, 67% of SF syndrome patients had a RH plica thickness greater than 2.6 mm compared with only 13% of controls (p = 0.021). Other abnormalities of the RH plica occurred more frequently in patients with SF syndrome compared with controls, but were not statistically significant.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In patients presenting with posterolateral pain or mechanical symptoms in the elbow, RH plica thickness greater than 2.6 mm on elbow MRI examinations may help identify patients with SF syndrome.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710, USA.
authors.forename: Brian C
authors.initials: BC
authors.lastname: Ruiz de Luzuriaga
authors.forename: Clyde A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Helms
authors.forename: Andrzej S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Kosinski
authors.forename: Emily N
authors.initials: EN
authors.lastname: Vinson
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D004551:Elbow Joint; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007592:Joint Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000601:surgery; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013583:Synovial Membrane / Q000473:pathology; D055815:Young Adult