Pitfalls

A subtle fracture may be missed if insufficient attention is paid to the appearance of an elevated anterior fat pad
Radial head dislocation may not be obvious and should be excluded with use of the radio-capitellar line
A minimally displaced supracondylar fracture may not be obvious and should be excluded with use of the anterior-humeral line
Misinterpretation of the paediatric elbow x-ray may result from a lack of knowledge of the appearance of ossification centres
Associated injuries may be missed if the identification of one bony injury does not prompt a search for others with further radiography