The aim of this study is to describe a small group of pediatric elbow injuries, which can be easily missed on plain films, because of their benign apperance, expecially in the youngest children with prevalent cartilage component.

A complex subset of elbow injuries can arise as a result of the anatomical peculiarities of the elbow during grouth. A promt diagnosis of these injuries can often be challenging for the radiologist, leading to serious consequences on the timing and type of treatment with long term complications (Trash lesions).

5-10% of all traumatic lesions in pediatric patients are elbow injuries. Most of these injuries can be easily identified by an experienced radiologist or orthopedic surgeon, however a small group of them, expecially osteochondral lesions or dislocations, arising in children younger than 10 years of age (with prevalent cartilage component) after high energy trauma, can be missed on radiographs. A correct identification of these injuries is foundamental in order to guarantee succesfull treatment befoure complications arise. We present a series of didactic cases from our...

Multimodal imaging is essential for early diagnosis of elbow injuries and avoids long term complications.

Barbuti, E. Pacciani, M. Cirillo, A.Magistelli, L. Tanturri. Imaging del trauma osteo-articolare in età pediatrica.Arto Superiore (CAP 7). Springer-Verlag- 2009. Peter M. Waters, James Beaty James Kasser . Elbow ‘‘TRASH’’ (The Radiographic Appearance Seemed Harmless) Lesions. J Pediatr Orthop 2010;30:S77–S81.

Dott.ssa Lara Cristiano Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore Dottorato di Ricerca Neuroscienze LargoFrancesco Vito 1, 00168 Roma [email protected] Dott. Marco Cirillo UOC Radiologia e Bioimaging Dipartimento di Diagnostica per Immagini I.R.C.C.S. Ospedale Pediatrico Bambino Gesù Piazza Sant'Onofrio, 4 - 00165 Roma [email protected]