Radiocapitellar Plica Impingement Test

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Plica Impingement Test

(A) The starting position of the test is an extended position of elbow, while an examiner places one hand’s thumb at the posterolateral aspect of radiocapitellar joint and turns the patient’s forearm into a pronated position grasping a wrist with the examiner’s another hand. (B) The examiner bends the patient’s elbow into a flexed position while applying a manual force to the posterolateral aspect of radiocapitellar joint. The examiner checks the presence of tenderness. (C) If the tenderness at the radiocapitellar joint which occurs at low flexion angle is markedly diminished at more than 90° of flexion with maintaining manual compression force, the test is counted as “positive.”

• Plica Impingement Test
• Posterolateral Radiocapitellar Plica Test
• Elbow Plica Impingement Test
• Radiocapitellar Synovial Fold Impingement Test
• Synovial Plica Impingement Test of the Elbow
• Radiocapitellar Plica Test
• Elbow Synovial Fold Test
• Posterolateral Radiocapitellar Plica Test
• Radiocapitellar Synovial Fold Test

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Purpose

• To evaluate the Radiocapitellar Joint as a cause of elbow pain

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Description

• The patient is seated or standing
• Elbow flexed & extended through motion arc
• Forearm supinated & pronated through motion arc
• Palpate lateral elbow during the maneuvers
• Positive test
  • Snapping sensation over lateral elbow
  • Pain due to hypertrophic synovial plica (associated with radiocapitellar OCD)

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Pathology

• Panners Disease
• Posterolateral Radiocapitellar Plica

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Evidence

Posterolateral Radiocapitellar Plica

• Park et al
  • Sensitivity: 83%
  • Specificity: 88%

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See Also

• Elbow Pain (Main)
• Physical Exam Elbow
• Elbow Anatomy

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