musculoskeletal radiology Flashcards
principle views of xray
- PA = posterior/anterior
- Oblique
- AP = anterior/posterior (usually done if patient can’t get up from bed)
- Lateral
- specific to site
when would you use computed tomography (CT)
- better bony detail than xray
when would you use MRI
when trying to visualize soft tissue
- superior in diagnosis of early pathologic processes in bone marrow
what are some contributing factors to nonunion fractures
- oral steriods
- interruption of bloody supply
- excessive motion
- age
- poor nutrition
- tobacco use

when looking at imaging studies of nonunion fracture, how can you tell if the bone is viable (capable of some healing activity)
- shows some evidence of callus formation
- elephant’s foot type of horse-hoof type

a fracture in which the fragments are in anatomical alignment
non-displaced fracture
a fracture in which the fragments are no longer in thier usual alignment
displaced
a fracture in which the fragments are malaligned

angulated
a fracture in which the distal fragment longitudinally overlaps the proximal fragment

bayonetted
a fracture in which the distal fragment is seperated from the proximal fragment by a gap

distracted
integrity of skin and soft tissue envelope around fracture
closed
the skin over and near the fracture is lacerated or abraded by the injury
open
a fracture that is perpendicular to the shaft of the bone
transverse

a fracture in which there is more than two fracture fragments

comminuted fracture
an angulated fracture line

oblique fracture
a type of comminuted fracture in which a completely seperate segment of bone is bordered by fracture lines

segmental fracture
a multiplanar and complex fracture

spiral
*can happen from injuries in which rotation of limb causes fracture
the fracture crosses the articular cartilage and enters the joint

intra-articular fracture
an incomplete buckle fracture of one cortex, often seen in children

torus fracture
an incomplete fracture with angular deformity, seen in children

greenstick fracture
a fracture that occurs when one bone hits an adjacent bone

impaction
a type of fracture that occurs in the vertebrae, resulting in depression of the end plates

compression fracture
a type of impaction fracture that occurs in the knee when the femoral condyle strikes the softer tibial plateau

depression fracture
a fracture in normal bone that has been subjected to repeated or cyclical loads that in and of themselves are not sufficient to cause a fracture
stress (fatigue) fracture