Image of the Week: Ultra-High-Resolution Elbow MRI in a Young Adult

The elbow in a 23-year-old patient was scanned using the MAGNETOM Vida with syngo MR XA50 software. Leveraging the Silhouette 24-channel MR coil, this acquisition demonstrates outstanding spatial resolution for evaluating joint integrity and soft tissue pathology in complex elbow anatomy.

Imaging Protocol Highlights:

• Sequence: TSE 2D – *tseR2d1_12

• Voxel Size: 0.2 x 0.2 x 1.7 mm

• Matrix: 1024 x 1024 x 28

• Slice Spacing: 1.7 mm

• TR/TE: 4470 ms / 35 ms

• Flip Angle: 136°

• ETL: 12

• Percent Sampling: 65%

• Acquisition Time: Optimized for diagnostic throughput

Why It Matters:

The sub-millimeter in-plane resolution (0.2 mm) is ideal for visualizing fine structures in the elbow—such as collateral ligaments, the ulnar nerve, and cartilage of the radial head and trochlea. This scan provides exceptional anatomical detail , critical in sports medicine, post-traumatic assessment, and surgical planning.

Clinical Elbow Tip:

Where subtle ligament tears or early osteochondral lesions in an elbow are suspected, consider voxel sizes ≤ 0.3 mm and matrix sizes ≥ 1024² to ensure sharp delineation of small anatomic structures.