imaging of trauma in upper limb Flashcards
how might work cause upper limb disorders
- prolonged repetitive work
- uncomfortable/awkward working postures
- sustained/ excessive force
- long tasks with not suitable break
- working with hand help power tools for long periods of time
what are the front line and secondary roles of radiography in terms of upper limb injuries
front line = xray or CT in major trauma
secondary = MRI and us
what is a simple fracture
- minimally displaced
- good alignment
- minimal treatment
what imaging modality is suitable for simple fractures
plain film radiography
what is the purpose of a surveillance imaging
- check on healing process
what are the 4 steps of bone healing
- hematoma formation (0-2 weeks)
- soft callus formation (2-3 weeks)
- hard callus formation (3-6 weeks)
- bone remodelling (8 weeks - 2yrs)
adaptive technique is needed for complicated fracures
for complicated fractures, what type of scan is used for pre-operative planning
CT scans
what in specific about CT is helpful in pre-operative planning
- 3d reconstruction
what imaging modality is used during surgery for complicated fractures
fluroscopy
why are fixation plates and screws not used to fix paediatric fractures
- they can stunt growth of rapidly growing bones
what instead of fixation plates and screws are used for paediatric fractures
and how
- K wires (kirschener) inserted in medulla of long bone to stabilise and healing alignment
- k wires can be removed when healing begins
what is the main diagnostic tool for identifying dislocations
plain radiography film
how can you tell if there is posterior or anterior dislocation of the shoulder
anterior = humoral head goes down and medial
posterior = humeral head moves laterally, no articulation with joint
what imaging modality is used to spot soft tissue injuries
- MRI
what is carpal tunnel syndrome / its cause
It is caused by pressure on the median nerve in the carpal tunnel of the wrist.
what is shoulder impingement
- When you lift your arm, the rotator cuff tendon passes through a narrow space at the top of your shoulder, known as the subacromial space.
- when the tendon catches onto the acromion, this is shoulder impingement
what imaging modality is commonly used to analyse rotator cuffs
ultrasound
what 3 things is a shoulder ultrasound good for diagnosing
- shoulder impingement
- shoulder instability
- rotator cuff disorders
why might US be used instead of MRI for shoulder soft tissue injuries
- as accurate as MRI
- focused examination
- rapid, real time
- cheap and dynamic
what is the gold standard for looking at soft tissue and bony attachments etc
MRI
what 3 bones articulate with the scaphoid
- distal radius
- trapezium
- capitate
what is the main way to cause a fractured scaphoid
- fall onto outstretched radially deviated hand
what is a non-union
- if the bone fracture is not treated correctly, the bone can fail to heal
