The landmarks for aspiration of the elbow joint are the radial head, lateral epicondyle, and tip of the olecranon. A needle inserted into the center of the triangle (asterisk) penetrates only the anconeus muscle and capsule before entering the joint.
Reproduced with permission from: Mezera K, Hotchkiss RN. Fractures and dislocation of the elbow. In: Rockwood and Green's Fractures in Adults, 5th ed, Bucholz RW, Heckman JD (Eds), Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, Philadelphia 2002. Copyright © 2002 Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.
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