Radial Head Elbow Fracture with displaced Fat Pads Intra-Articular Fracture of the Elbow with displaced fat pads (hemarthrosis). Why are the fat pads important? These are intra-capsular but extra synovial structures which appear on a radiograph as dark streaks in the grey soft tissue surrounding the elbow joint. The anterior fat pad may be seen in most normal elbows closely apposed to the humerus while the posterior fat pad is normally not visible in a radiograph as it is located deep within the olecranon fossa. If the fat pads are displaced it indicates joint effusion/hemorrhage which is evidence of a serious intra-articular injury. So even in a case where the fracture is not immediately evident, raised fat pads should make you very suspicious about the possibility of a fracture. Between the two fat pads, the posterior fat pad is more specific and is always abnormal. It denotes a considerable amount of blood in the joint while the anterior fat pad is the luckier one which has a name called the “Sail sign”. In adults, the most common fracture which leads to this appearance is that of the radial head while in children it is the supra condylar fracture. Dr. Devpriyo Pal @drdevrad #Radial #Head #Elbow #Fracture #trauma #clinical #radiology #msk #hemarthrosis
