Elbow and Forearm
History
Location of the symptoms
Onset of the symptoms
Mechanism of injury

  Most elbow injuries tend to be caused by repetitive low-loaded stress
Technique
Associated sound and sensations
  Locks, clicks, or pops indicate osteochondritis dessicans or an unstable joint.
Previous history
General medical health


Inspection
Anterior Structures
  Carrying angle
   Long axis of the humerus and ulna
   10 -15 degree of valgus in women
   5-10 degree of valgus in men
   Increased this angle causes cubitus Valgus
   Decreased this angle causes cubitus varus
  Cubital fossa
Medial Structures
  Medial epicondyle
  Flexor muscle mass
   Muscle mass decreases with immobilization or long-term tendinitis
Lateral Structures
  Alignment of the wrist and forearm
   Compression of radial nerve causes drop wrist syndrome (wrist extensor)
  Cubital Recurvatum (Beyond 0 degree extension)
  Extensor muscle mass
      The mass decreases with immobilization, long-term tendinitis, or radial nerve involvement
Posterior Structures
   Bony alignment
    Isosceles triangle (medial & lateral epicondyle, and olecranon process)
   Olecranon process and bursa
Acute injury or overuse conditions may cause olecranon bursa to rupture, swell, or inflame, masking outline of olecranon.

Palpation
Anterior Structures
  Biceps brachii
  Cubital fossa (Median and musculocutaneous nerves pass through this area)
  Brachioradialis (Most lateral of elbow flexors)
  Wrist flexor group
  Pronator quadratus
Medial Structures
  Medial epicondyle (The common wrist flexor tendon attaches at the epicondyle)
  Ulna
  Ulnar collateral ligament
Lateral Structures
  Lateral Epicondyle (The common wrist extensors attaches at the epicondyle)
  Radial head (Posterior aspect of wrist extensor / Identified with pronated & supinated forearm)
  Lateral ulnar collateral ligament
  Capitellum (The crepitus indicates radiocapitular Chondromalacia)
  Annular ligament
  Radial collateral ligament
Posterior Structures
  Olecranon process
  Olecranon fossa
  Triceps brachii
  Anconeus
  Ulnar nerve
  Wrist extensors
  Finger extensors
  Thumb musculature

Range of Motion Tests
AROM/PROM/RROM (Flexion, extension, pronation, supination)

Ligamentous Tests
Valgus stress test (Ulnar collateral ligament)
Varus stress test (Radial collateral ligament)

Neurologic Tests
Radial nerve
Medial nerve
Ulnar nerve


Special Tests
Elbow Sprains
  Posterolateral rotary instability test
Epicondyllitis
  Tennis elbow test
Nerve trauma
  Tinel’s sign (tapping on the ulnar or radial nerve results in a burning sensation in the hand)