MSK Flashcards
Describe the approach to MSK x-rays
- IPADS:
- Information
- Patient details
- Radiograph date, view, adequacy (RIP)
- Pattern of fracture - transverse/oblique/comminuted
- Anatomy
- Location on bone
- Intra/extra articular
- Distal fragment
- Displaced/angulated/rotated/impacted
- Soft tissues - disruption/swelling/foreign bodies
Describe the different types of fracture pattern
What are the terms used to describe displacement?
- Angulation
- Translation
- Shortening
- Rotation
How is the site of fracture described?
- Diaphyseal (shaft)
- Metaphyseal (ossification plate)
- Intra/extra articular
- Junctional
What is osteoarthritis?
Non-inflammatory degenerative joint disease characterised by loss of cartilage at synovial joints with degeneration of the underlying bone
- Commonly affects DIP joints, thumb MCP, cervical and lumbar spine, knee, hip
Name some clinical features of osteoarthritis
- Joint pain and stiffness
- Worse at end of day/after activity
- Can be nocturnal
- Joint instability
- Loss of joint function / limited range of movements
- Synovitis
- Crepitus
- Nodes
- Herberdens (DIP) - outer Hebrides
- Bouchard’s (PIP)
- Squaring of the hand (CMC prominence)
What x-ray changes are seen in osteoarthritis?
LOSS
- Loss of joint space
- Osteophyte formation
- Subchondral bone sclerosis
- Subchondral cyst formation
How is osteoarthritis managed?
- Pain relief - paracetemol / NSAIDs (+/- omeprazole)
- Weight loss if BMI > 28
- Walking aids
- Supportive footwear
- Physiotherapy / hydrotherapy
- Steroid/LA injections (= 2 times a year)
- Surgery
Why is surgery indicated in osteoarthritis?
- Pain not controlled by medication
- To improve mobility
- Correcting deformities
What is osteoporosis?
Skeletal disorder characterised by decreased bone mass and increased risk of fractures due to deterioration of the microarchitecture of bone tissue.
Name some primary causes of osteoporosis
- Age
- White/asian
- Female
- Early menopause
- Family history
- Low calcium / vitamin D
- Smoking / alcohol
Name some secondary causes of osteoporosis
- Hyperthyroid / parathyroid
- Hypogonadism
- Cushings
- RA
- IBD
- Renal failure
- Drugs - steroids, heparin, anti-convulsants
How is osteoporosis diagnosed?
- DEXA scan to measure bone mineral density
- BMD expressed as aT score (number of SDs away from mean)
- Osteoporosis < -2.5
- X-ray
- Investigations into secondary cause
- FBC
- ESR
- Serum calcium
- ALP
- TSH
How is osteoporosis managed/prevented?
- Calcium rich diet
- Stop smoking
- Increase weight-bearing exercise
- Bisphosphonate (alendronic acid 10mg/ didronel)
- Inhibit osteoclast activity
- Vitamin D supplement
- HRT in women / SERM (raloxifene)
- Calcitonin
How can falls be prevented in osteoporosis?
- Mobility device
- Avoidance of sedatives or hypotensive drugs
- Removal of obstacles in the home
- Ensure co-morbidity is treated
- Eyesight
- Syncope
- Cardiac arrhythmia
- OA/RA
What is Paget’s disease / osteitis deformans?
Increased bone turnover associated with increased numbers of osteoclasts and osteoblasts with resultant remodelling, bone enlargement, deformity and weakness
- Autosomal dominant
- Common sites are spine, skull, pelvis, femur, tibia
Name some clinical signs/complications of Paget’s disease?
- Deafness (bone overgrowth)
- Cranial nerve palsies
- Cardiac hypertrophy / high output CCF
- Spinal stenosis / spinal nerve entrapment
- Secondary OA
- Pathological fractures / osteosarcoma
- Bowing of tibia
How is Pagets investigated?
- ALP (raised)
- Normal serum calcium and phosphate
- X-ray - sclerosis and osteoporosis
- Isotope bone scan = areas of focal increased uptake (hot spots)
- High urinary excretion of hydroxyproline
How is Pagets managed?
- Pain relief
- Manage fractures appropriately
- Drugs that reduce bone turnover such as calcitonin or bisphosphonates
- Surgical treatment for fracture, deformity or sarcoma
What is osteomalacia?
Low mineral content but normal amount of bone
- Osteomalacia after fusion of epiphyses
- Rickets during bone growth
Name some causes of osteomalacia
- Vitamin D deficiency
- Malabsorption
- Poor diet
- Lack of sunlight
- Renal failure
- Drug-induced
- Anti-convulsants (induce liver enymes)
- Genetic vitamin D resistance
- Liver disease = decreased production/malabsorption
Name some signs and symptoms of rickets/osteomalacia
Rickets:
- Valgus deformity
- Bow-legged
- Hypocalcaemia
Osteomalacia:
- Bone pain
- Fractures (NOF)
- Proximal myopathy (waddling)
How is osteomalacia investigated?
- Bloods - dec calcium, phosphate, vit D, inc ALP, PTH
- Biopsy - incomplete mineralisation
- X-ray
- Loss of cortical bone
- Loosers zone = wide, transverse lucencies at right angles to cortical bone (pseudofracture)
- Blurred trabeculae
How is osteomalacia managed?
- Treat underlying cause
- Vitamin D supplements (calciferol)
- 400 units
What is Developmental Dysplasia of the Hip (DDH)?
Failure of normal development of the acetabulum resulting in abnormal hip anatomy
- Dislocated = head of femur completely out
- Dislocatable = head of femur lies within the acetabulum but is easily pushed out of socket
- Subluxable = head of femur is loose in socket
Name some risk factors for DDH
- Girls
- First-born children
- Breech position
- Family history
- Oligohydramnios
- Foot abnormalities
Name some clinical features of DDH
- Loss of abduction
- Leg length discrepancy
- Asymmetrical posterior skin crease (thigh)
- Limping / toe-walking / waddling gait
How is DDH diagnosed?
- Barlow’s = dislocate a reduced hip
- Knee 90 flexed, hip 90 flexed
- Ortolani’s = reduce a dislocated hip
- Ultrasound if at risk
- X-rays in older children (6+ months)
How is DDH managed?
- 0-6 months = Pavlik harness
- 6-18 months = closed/open reduction of hip joint with immobilisation in a spica cast
- > 18 months = open reduction of hip joint, hip adductor release, and femoral osteotomy
Name some complications of DDH
- Delay in walking
- Growth disturbance
- Risk of re-dislocation
- Osteonecrosis
- Osteoarthritis
What is Perthes disease?
Idiopathic avascular necrosis of the proximal femoral epiphyses
- Common onset between 4-10 years
- More common in males
What are the clinical features of Perthes disease?
- Gradual onset of hip/knee pain
- Limp
- Loss of hip abduction
- Fixed deformity
How is Perthes managed?
- Physiotherapy / exercise
- Anti-inflammatory drugs (ibuprofen)
- Casting / bracing - Petrie casts
- Tenotomy of adductus longus
- Surgery
- Osteotomy
What is a slipped upper femoral epiphysis (SUFE)?
Structural failure through the growth plate of an immature hip causing displacement of the femoral epiphysis in relation to the femoral neck
- Unstable = cannot walk due to pain
- Stable = weight-bear with limp
- Presents 2-3 weeks after
Name some risk factors for developing SUFE
- Male
- Obesity - limping obese 13 year old boy is classic
- Hormonal - hypothyroid/pituitarism/parathyroid
What are the clinical features of SUFE?
- Obvious limp
- Usually in overweight child
- Groin/knee pain
- Shortened and externally rotated
- Limited abduction
- Evidence of hypogonadism/pituitarism/thyroidism
Describe the x-ray appearance of SUFE
AP and frog-leg
- Widening of growth plate
- Irregularity and blurring of physeal edges
- If chronic - sclerosis
- Trethowan’s sign = line of Klein (up lateral edge of femoral neck) does not intersect the epiphysis
How is SUFE managed?
- Surgical fixation / pinning
- Prevents further slipping of epiphysis
- Osteotomy / joint replacement if significant deformity
Name some complications of SUFE
- AVN of femoral head
- Chondrolysis = rapid progressive loss of cartilage with joint space narrowing
- Subtrochanteric fracture
- Late osteoarthritis
Name some risk factors for developing clubfoot
- Male
- Family history
- Congenital conditions (spina bifida, muscular dystrophy)
- Smoking during pregnancy
- TORCH infections (toxoplasmosis, rubella, CMV, herpes)
- Oligohydramnios
Name some clinical features of clubfoot
- Fixed varus and equinus (plantar flexed) deformity
- Under-developed calf
- High arch
- Shortened limb
How is clubfoot managed?
- Ponseti method = manipulation and casting 5-7 times
- Percutaneous Achilles tenotomy
- Maintenance of alignment via stretching exercises, special shoes and braces
Name some complications of clubfoot
- Osteoarthritis
- Abnormal gait (abnormal growth of calf muscles)
- Walking on ball/outside/top of foot
Name some causes of pathological fractures
- Osteoporosis
- Tumours
- Paget’s disease
- Metabolic bone disease
- Osteomalacia/rickets
- Hyperparathyroidism
- Osteogenesis imperfecta
- RA
- Infection
Describe the general management of fractures
4 R’s:
- Resuscitate (Advanced trauma life support)
- Reduce (if displaced)
- Open reduction (if intra-articular or NV damage)
- Closed reduction (Manipulation Under Anaesthetic)
- Restrict (stabilisation)
- External fixation
- Internal fixation
- Conservative immobilisation (cast/splint/brace)
- Rehabilitate (physio)
What are the indications for internal fixation?
- Intra-articular fracture - reduce incidence of OA
- Unstable fracture pattern
- NV damage
- Pathological fractures
- Long bone fractures
Describe some internal fixation methods
- Compression plates and screws
- Intra-medullary nail
- Kershner (K) wires
- Tension band wiring
Name some indications for external fixation
- Open fractures (tibia/femur) with significant soft tissue damage
- Comminuted fractures
- Damage control orthopaedics
- Salvage if non-union, malunion or bone loss
Name some complications of fractures
- Immediate
- Soft tissue injury
- Nerve palsy
- Ischaemia (damaged arteries)
- Haemorrhage - hypovolaemic shock
- Early
- Compartment syndrome
- Infection
- DVT
- Complex regional pain syndrome
- Fat embolus
- Late
- Delayed union / non-union
- Malunion (healing in abnormal position)
- OA (if intra-articular)
- Growth disturbance
Name some causes of back pain
- Trauma - fracture, dislocation
- Neoplastic
- Infective - infective spondylodiscitis
- Inflammatory - inflammatory spondyloarthropathy
- Metabolic - osteomalacia, osteoporosis, Paget’s
- Degenerative disc disease
- Paraspinal muscle - spasm/strain
What are the red flag signs of back pain?
Symptoms:
- Non-mechanical back pain
- Thoracic pain
- Fever
Features:
- History of malignancy
- Age < 16 or >50 if new onset
- Unexplained weight loss
- Long standing steroid use
Signs:
- Saddle anaethesia
- Reduced anal tone
- Widespread/progressive neurology
- Urinary retention
Name a classification system for open fractures
Gustillo-Anderson classification:
- I = low energy, wound < 1cm, no comminution
- II = 1cm < wound > 10cm, minimal comminution
- III = high energy, wound > 10cm, periosteal stripping, communition, farmyard contamination
- A = wound can be covered with existing tissue
- B = requires soft tissue cover
- C = neurovascular injury
How are open fractures initially assessed?
- ABCDE
- C spine
- Stop external haemorrhage
- Neurovascular exam
- AMPLE history
- Allergies
- Medications
- PMH
- Last ate/drank
- Events of injury
How are open fractures managed?
- Photograph wound
- Remove gross contamination only
- Moist sterile gauze / adhesive film dressing / negative pressure dressing
- IV antibiotics (within 3 hours) for 72 hours
- Co amoxiclav 1.2g / cefuroxime 600mg
- Analgesia (+ anti-emetic)
- Splint the limb
- Tetanus prophylaxis
- X-ray
- Surgery
What surgical options are available for open fractures? Who makes these decisions?
Team of orthopaedic, plastic and vascular surgeon
- Internal fixation if minimal contamination
- Temporary external fixation if not covered
- Amputation
- Uncontrollable haemorrhage
- 4-6 hours of ischaemia
- Muscle loss of 2 compartments
- > 1/3 tibia bone loss
Name some investigations for chronic back pain
- History - unrelenting back pain, overweight, depressed, unable to work
- Blood tests all normal - FBC, LFTs, Ca2+, myeloma, ESR/CRP
- X-ray - normal/mild disc narrowing/facet joint arthritis
How is chronic back pain managed?
- Analgeisa - WHO ladder
- Physio
- MDT
- Avoid prolonged bed rest
- Facet joint injections
What is a prolapsed intervertebral disc? Common sites of prolapse?
Nucleus pulposus herniates through the annulus fibrosus and pressses on a nerve root (usually posterolaterally)
Commonly L4-5 or L5-S1
Name some clinical features of a prolapsed intervertebral disc
- Back pain
- Sciatica +/- parasthesia/numbness
- Abnormal posture = stooped with knee flexed
- Cauda equina
- Loss of anal tone
- Reduced perianal sensation
- Bilateral leg symptoms
- Urinary retention
- Muscle weakness
How is prolapsed intervertebral disc investigated?
- Bloods - exclude sinister causes
- MRI (T2)
- X-ray = normal unless other pathology
- CT myelogram = dye is injected into spinal canal
How is prolapsed intervertebral disc managed?
- Bed rest
- Gentle physiotherapy
- Analgesia
- Surgical discectomy if:
- Cauda equina
- Progressive neurological deficit
- > 6 weeks of symptoms
- Nerve sheath injection
What is spondylolisthesis?
Slipping of 1 vertebral body onto another
Graded based on % of vertebral body slipped
- I = 25%
- II = 50%
- III = 75%
- IV = 100%
Name some causes of spondylolisthesis
- Physical activities - weights, gymnastics, football
- Male
- Trauma
- Congenital
- Stress fracture (overuse)
Name some clinical features of spondylolisthesis
- Persistent back pain
- Increased loidosis
- Sciatica
- Tight hamstrings
- Tenderness over spine
- Waddling gait
How is spondylolisthesis investigated?
- Oblique x-rays = collar on scottie dog
- CT
- MRI (if nerve root irritation)
How is spondylolisthesis managed?
- Rest and activity restriction
- Physio
- Analgesia
- Spinal brace
- Surgery = lumbar interbody fusion and decompression if:
- Persistent pain
- Radiculopathy (pinched nerve)
- Significant deformity
Name some risk factors for developing spinal stenosis
- Male > 50
- Heavy manual labourers
- OA - osteophytes, soft tissue inflammation
- Herniated discs
- Tumours
- Displaced bone from fractures
Name some clinical features of spinal stenosis
- Pain when walking
- Referred to buttocks, calves, feet
- Numbness/parasthesia in hands, arms, legs, feet
- Muscle weakness
- Bowel or bladder dysfunction
How can spinal stenosis be managed?
- Weight loss
- Activity modification / physical therapy
- Analgesia
- Steroid injections
- Surgical decompression
- Laminectomy
- Laminotomy
- Laminoplasty
What are the common organisms of vertebral myelitis?
- Staph aureus
- Step pneumoniae
- TB
Name some risk factors for developing discitis/vertebral myelitis?
- IV drug use
- Degenerative spine disease
- Endocarditis
- Diabetes
- Prior spinal surgery
- Steroids
- Immunocompromised
What are the clinical features of discitis/vertebral myelitis?
- Pyrexia
- Unrelenting back pain
- Swelling/gibbus formation
- Reduced movement
- Possible abnormal neurology
How is discitis/vertebral myelitis investigated?
- Bloods - WCC, ESR/CRP
- X-ray = narrowed disc space/bony destruction
- Isotope bone scan = hot in affected areas
- MRI = detect epidural abscess
- CT guided biopsy = M, C + S
How is discitis/vertebral myelitis managed?
- IV antibiotics for 6 weeks
- Bracing for 6-12 weeks
- Surgery
- Abscess draining
- Stabilisation of deformity
How is scoliosis defined?
Abnormal lateral curvature of the spine
- Cobb angle > 10 degrees
What investigations are needed following a NOF?
- FBC - WCC (infection) Hb (anaemia)
- U&E
- Glucose
- Urine dip / MSU (if confused)
- MRSA screen
- Cross match / group and save (surgery)
- ECG (fit for surgery)
- CXR (pneumonia, fit for surgery)
- Clotting (if on anticoagulant)
- Bone profile (Ca2+ if malignancy suspected)
- Serum lactate (>3mmol/L = higher mortality)
What immediate management is needed for NOF/trauma?
- Pain relief
- Fascia-iliaca block
- Codeine (+ anti emetic)
- VTE assessment (green sheet)
- EWS hourly
- IV fluids
- NV assessment
- Nottingham hip score
- Discuss surgery/DNR with patient
- Draw arrow on affected limb
- Surgery within 36 hours
Name some risks of fracture surgery
- Infection (1/100)
- Failure - loosen/dislocation/fracture/malunion
- NV damage
- Bleeding/need transfusion
- DVT/PE
- Anaesthesia - respiratory depression/anaphylaxis
- Compartment syndrome
- Death
- UTI
- MI/LVF
- Renal failure
What is compartment syndrome?
Rasied pressure within an enclosed fascial space leading to localised tissue ischaemia
- Outflow problem
How is compartment syndrome diagnosed?
- Clinical
- Compartment pressure monitoring using an arterial line transducer / slit catheter
- > 40mmHg or 30 below diastolic BP
How is compartment syndrome managed?
- Release any casts
- Immediate surgical decompression (fasciotomy)
- Debridement of necrotic tissue
- Skeletal stabilisation
- Leave wounds open and use loose, absorbent dressings
- Treat underlying cause
- Analgesia
Name some complications of compartment syndrome
- Muscle necrosis
- Deformity (Volkmann’s Ischaemic Contracture)
- Weakness
- Joint stiffness
- Nerve fibrosis - dysaethesia
- Sensory > motor
- Delayed fracture union
Name some causes of shoulder dislocation
Anterior: Forced abduction and external rotation
- Fall on outstretched arm
- ‘Ball throwing’ position
- Trauma
Posterior: Forced internal rotation
- Direct blow to anterior shoulder
- Epileptic fit
- Electrocutions
Name some features of the shoulder joint that provides stability
- Rotator cuff muscles
- Supraspinatus
- Infraspinatus
- Teres minor
- Subscapularis
- Glenoid labrum (fibrocartilagenous ridge) deepens cavity
- Ligaments
- Glenohumeral
- Coracohumeral
- Coracoacromial
- Joint capsule
Name some other features often associated with anterior shoulder dislocation
- Bankart lesion = anterioinferior glenoid labrum tear
- Hill-Sachs lesion = impression fracture as anterior glenoid impacts on posterior humeral head
- Often with recurrent dislocations
- Rotator cuff tears
- Greater tuberosity fractures
Describe the presentation on anterior shoulder dislocations
- History of trauma
- Pain
- Shoulder supported by other arm
- Abducted
- Externally rotated
- Restricted movement
- Sqaure shoulder = caused by flat deltoid and sulcus where the humeral head used to be
- Palpable glenoid and humeral head
- May have neurovascular damage
- Axillary nerve
Describe the x-ray appearance of anterior shoulder dislocations
AP and scapular Y view/axilla needed:
- Hill-Sachs
- Humeral head towards ribs
- Associated fractures
- Proximal humeral
- Clavicle
- Acromial
How is anterior shoulder dislocation treated?
- IV morphine 5-10mg and inhaled N2O
- Reduction in A&E
- Kocher’s manoevre (pictured)
- Stimson’s technique = patient prone, arm hanging freely off trolley and weighted
- Arm immobilised in a collar and cuff sling in internal rotation
- Repeat x-ray and NV assessment
- Physio after 3-5 days rest
- Surgery (if recurrent) = bone/labral repair
Name some complications of anterior shoulder dislocations
- Axillary nerve damage
- Brachial plexus damage
- Axillary artery damage
- Recurrent dislocations
- Rotator cuff injury