Lateral elbow X-ray positioning
One of the routine elbow views. The patient sits, the beam passes from side to side, straight on to the receptor, and the centring point is the lateral epicondyle.
By the ScanFlo Editorial Team · Updated
In this section · X-ray positioning
- X-ray positioning guides
- Skull positioning
- Face & sinuses positioning
- Soft tissue neck positioning
- C-spine positioning
- Chest positioning
- Shoulder positioning
- Humerus positioning
- Elbow positioning
- Forearm positioning
- Wrist positioning
- Hand positioning
- T-spine positioning
- Abdomen positioning
- L-spine positioning
- Sacrum & SI joints positioning
- Pelvis positioning
- Hip positioning
- Femur positioning
- Knee positioning
- Tibia & fibula positioning
- Ankle positioning
- Foot positioning
Still being checked: a radiographer is reviewing this guide. If your department does it differently, follow your department.
Patient position
Sitting. Sit the patient at the end of the holder, arm resting on the detector at shoulder height. Elbow flexed to 90°, thumb up.
Centring & collimation
Central ray
lateralCentre: the lateral epicondyle.
Beam: lateral, perpendicular to the receptor.
Collimate: the joint with a third of humerus and forearm
Distance, receptor & grid
| Setting | Value | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| SID | 100 cm | |
| Receptor | 18 × 24 cm | portrait |
| Placement | On the holder | No grid |
| Angulation | None | Perpendicular to the receptor |
Marker & breathing
- Marker: R or L marker on the side nearest the detector
- Breathing: No breathing instruction needed.
Exposure by patient size
Treat these as a starting point. Your detector, your generator and the patient in front of you will all move the numbers.
| Patient size | kV | mAs (chart) | mAs (DR default) |
|---|---|---|---|
| XS | 53 | 0.63 | 0.5 |
| S | 53 | 1 | 0.5 |
| M | 53 | 1.25 | 0.5 |
| L | 53 | 2 | 0.8 |
These start from a classic film-screen chart (53 kV, 16 mAs at 140 cm) and are adjusted for a digital detector at 100 cm. The DR column is what ScanFlo's console suggests; each step up or down changes the mAs by about a quarter.
Image quality checklist
- The humeral condyles are superimposed.
- The fat pads are visible.
- The anatomical side marker is visible, correct and clear of the anatomy.
- Collimation borders are visible on all sides, no wider than the area requested.
Faults & how to fix them
| Fault | Cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Condyles not superimposed | Shoulder higher than the elbow | Bring the shoulder to the level of the elbow. |
Common questions
- Where do you centre for an elbow lateral X-ray?
- The centring point is the lateral epicondyle.
- What distance and beam angle does an elbow lateral need?
- 100 cm from the tube to the receptor. The beam passes from side to side, straight on to the receptor.
- What size receptor, and do you need a grid?
- Use an 18 × 24 cm receptor, portrait, on the holder. No grid is needed.
- Where does the lead marker go?
- R or L marker on the side nearest the detector.
- What goes wrong most often on an elbow lateral?
- Condyles not superimposed. Usual cause: shoulder higher than the elbow. The fix: bring the shoulder to the level of the elbow.
Try it in ScanFlo: the ScanFlo XR X-ray Room, coming soon, lets you set up a elbow lateral in a 3D room and score your positioning. See ScanFlo XR →
Written by the ScanFlo team from everyday radiographic practice.