elbow

Look

elbows extended

· arms by side, palms forward

Deformity

· carrying angle

Skin

Contour

Swelling

Wasting

· forearm

· ulnar border - FDP

· radial border - mobile wad

· hand

· thenar eminence

· hypothenar eminence

Elbows flexed

· “show me your elbows” (demonstrate)

Deformity

· bony prominences

· triangle

Skin

· scars

· over epicondyles

Contour

Swelling

· olecranon bursa

· rheumatoid nodule

Wasting

Move

· active

· passive with lack

extension

· straighten arms out

flexion

· touch shoulders

Rotation

· elbows by side

· supination

· palms up

· pronation

· palms down

Feel

Medial epicondyle

· tenderness

· resisted wrist flexion in supination

Ulnar nerve

· percussion

· stability with flexion / extension

Olecranon

· bursa

Radial head

· tenderness

· stability with rotation

Lateral epicondyle

· tenderness

· resisted wrist extension in pronation

· resisted MC III extension (ECRB)

Cubital fossa

· masses

· biceps tendon

Special

stability

· collateral ligaments

· in extension

· valgus and varus strain

pivot shift

· patient supine

· elbow flexed

· valgus stress

· forcefully supinated

· elbow extended

Other

circulation

· brachial pulse

· radial pulse

· ulnar pulse

· Allen’s test

concealed

· cubital fossa

cephalad joint

· shoulder ROM

collagen

· ligamentous laxity