General Principles of Trauma X Ray Interpretation Flashcards
what 3 views can be used to view the cervical spine on imaging?
AP
lateral
odontoid peg
what 3 views can be used to view the scaphoid bone on imaging?
AP
lateral
two obliques
what is an avulsion fracture?
an injury to the bone in a location where a tendon or ligament attaches to the bone
what is an impaction fracture?
A bone fracture in which one of the fragments is driven into another fragment
what is a displacement fracture?
the bone snaps into two or more parts and moves so that the two ends are not lined up straight
what is a comminuted fracture?
bone is in many places
what is an angulated fracture?
normal axis of the bone has been altered such that the distal portion of the bone points off in a different direction
what things on x ray can mimic an avulsion fracture?
sesamoid bone
accessory ossification
old non-united fracture
where on the upper limb can you see fat density quite clearly?
anterior to distal humerus
what is the posterior fat pad sign?
displaced fat pad visible posterior to distal humerus
when will you get a positive posterior fat pad sign
if an elbow effusion is present
usually after trauma
how are children’s bones different from ours in terms of injury?
tend to bow or bend rather than snap
is avulsion of soft bony attachments more common in adults or children?
children
weakest part of a developing bone?
growth plate
other word for growth plate?
physis
what can a distal femoral fracture indicate?
twisting force
what is a bony ring?
bones and joints form rings to help share the transmission of force and increase strength
give an example of a bony ring?
spinal canal
pelvis
forearm
lower leg
why do you usually see more than one fracture in a bony ring?
a single fracture would disrupt the other side of the ring thus causing another fracture/dislocation (imagine snapping a polo mint)
what needs to happen before a foreign body can be seen on an x ray
it needs to be different in density to the surrounding tissues
can you see plastic on x ray?
no
can you see wood on x ray?
no
when should you suspect a pathology in a fracture?
if the bony abnormality seems out of proportion to the mechanism of injury
what kind of skeletal weakening would a malignancy cause?
focal
what kind of skeletal weakening would a metabolic bone disease cause?
diffuse
who tends to get a colles fracture?
elderly person with osteoporosis
who gets a radial buckle fracture?
child with soft bones
who gets scaphoid fracture?
young male
clinical presentation of a scaphoid fracture?
pain in anatomical snuffbox
what kind of fracture is a colles fracture associated with?
ulnar styloid fracture
what does a bennett’s fracture typically involve?
articular surface of the first metacarpal base
