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The enigmatic os supratrochleare anterius: from rarity to recognition in elbow pathology—case report and review of literature

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Abstract

Accessory bones around the elbow are scarce, with a reported mean incidence rate of 0.77%. The rarest one is the os supratrochleare anterius, with only a handful of documented cases in the literature. Despite their scarcity, various types of ossicles have been documented, posing diagnostic challenges and potential misinterpretation on X-rays. Herein, we report a case of an accidentally found os supratrochleare anterius in a 43-year-old pig farmer presenting with symptoms of tennis elbow. After conservative treatment with nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and physiotherapy, he made a full recovery within 2 weeks. This report emphasizes the rarity of the ossupra trochleare anterius, the importance of accurate diagnosis, and the need for continued research and awareness of this anatomical variation.

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Abbreviations

OSA:

Os supratrochleare anterius

NSAIDs:

Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs

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Funding

This research received no specific grant from funding agencies in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Anatomy, Histology and Embryology, Medical University of Sofia, Sofia, Bulgaria

    Lyubomir Gaydarski & Boycho Landzhov

  2. Department of Anatomical Sciences, St. George’s University, True Blue, Grenada

    R. Shane Tubbs

  3. Department of Neurosurgery, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, LA, USA

    R. Shane Tubbs

  4. Department of Neurology, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, LA, USA

    R. Shane Tubbs

  5. Department of Structural and Cellular Biology, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, LA, USA

    R. Shane Tubbs

  6. Department of Surgery, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, LA, USA

    R. Shane Tubbs

  7. Department of Anatomical Dissection and Donation, Chair of Anatomy and Histology, Medical University of Łódź, Łódź, Poland

    Łukasz Olewnik

  8. Department of Anatomy, School of Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Zografou, Greece

    Maria Piagkou

  9. Department of Orthopedics and Traumatology, University Hospital Queen Giovanna-ISUL, Medical University of Sofia, 8, Bialo More Str., 1527, Sofia, Bulgaria

    Georgi P. Georgiev

Authors
  1. Lyubomir Gaydarski
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  2. Boycho Landzhov
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  3. R. Shane Tubbs
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  4. Łukasz Olewnik
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  5. Maria Piagkou
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  6. Georgi P. Georgiev
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Contributions

Lyubomir Gaydarski: student/assistant—project development, data collection and management, data analysis, and manuscript writing. Boycho Landzhov (MD, PhD): professor—data analysis and manuscript editing. Łukasz Olewnik (D.P.T., PhD): professor—data analysis and manuscript editing. Richard Shane Tubbs (MD, PhD): professor—data analysis and manuscript editing. Maria Piagkou (DDS, MD, MSc, Ph. D): professor—data analysis and manuscript editing. Georgi P. Georgiev (MD, PhD, DSc): assistant professor—data collection, data analysis and manuscript editing. All authors have read and approved the manuscript.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Georgi P. Georgiev.

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Gaydarski, L., Landzhov, B., Tubbs, R.S. et al. The enigmatic os supratrochleare anterius: from rarity to recognition in elbow pathology—case report and review of literature. Surg Radiol Anat 46, 483–487 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00276-024-03321-0

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