Orthopaedics and Trauma Flashcards
What is the special test used in ankle pain to test achilles rupture?
Simmons test
What classification is used in ankle fractures that indicates it’s site?
Weber’s Classification:
Type A- Below the tibiotalar joint height
Type B- At height of tibiotalar joint
Type C- Above line
Signs of osteoarthritis (LOSS)
Loss of joint space
Osteophytes
Subchondral cysts
Subarticular sclerosis
Intra-articular pathology of the hip will present with pain where?
In the anterior leg
Patient feels like they have a ‘pebble in their toe’ and a lump on their foot above their third metatarsal, with change in sensation (numbness/burning), what might it be? Investigation to confirm diagnosis?
Morton’s neuroma
Benign
IHx: USS
What is Charcot’s joint?
Degeneration of joint due to neuropathic loss of sensation meaning the patient doesn’t realise when they are damaging joint- seen in diabetics
Painkiller given for acute gout + side effect?
Colchicine (type of NSAID)
Diarrhoea
Garden’s Classification of hip fractures?
Grade 1: partial fracture of the bone, no displacement
Grade 2: complete transverse fracture of bone, no displacement
Grade 3: complete fracture, partially displaced (one side)
Grade 4: complete fracture, completely displaced
(1,2 screw, 3,4 Austin Moore aka hemiathroplasty etc)
Obese teenage with hip pain, coming on without trauma?
What systemic condition is it associated with?
Slipped upper epiphysis
Hypothyroidism
How are intracapsular and extracapsular hip fractures managed?
Intracapsular-
Grade 1+2 Garden’s- screw
Grade 3+4 Garden’s- hemiarthroplasty, total hip replacement
Extracapsular- screw
What’s the difference between mallet toe, hammer toe, claw toe?
Mallet toe is like swan-necking
Hammer toe is like Boutonierres (first interphalangeal joint is bent, next phalanx is extended)
Claw toe is where all the joints are bent
In the elbow joint of paediatric patients what order do things ossify?
CRITOE 2 years Capitulum 4 years Radial 6 years Internal Condyle 8 years Trochlear 10 years Olecranon 12 years External Condyle
If a part is not visible (looks like its fused, but shouldn’t have yet then there may be a fracture)
Kienbock’s Disease is avascular necrosis of what bone?
Lunate
(Closest to elbow from thumb to little finger:
So long to pinkie (scaphoid, lunate, triquetrum, piseform)
From little finger to thumb, closer to finger
Here comes the thumb (hamate, capitate, trapezoid, trapezium)
Carpal bones of hand
Closest to elbow from thumb to little finger:
So long to pinkie (scaphoid, lunate, triquetrum, piseform)
From little finger to thumb, closer to finger
Here comes the thumb (hamate, capitate, trapezoid, trapezium)
Difference between Monteggia and Galeazzi fractures of forearm?
Monteggia is ulnar shaft fracture, with proximal radial dislocation
Galeazzi is radial shaft fracture and ulnar dislocation
Colles fracture is:
Transverse fracture of radius, with dorsal displacement of distal fragment
Winging scapula is due to nerve damage of which nerve?
Long thoracic nerve to serratus anterior (C5,6,7) to point to heaven
External (lateral) rotation of the shoulder joint is mediated by which two muscles?
Tear open the present and see what’s inside- teres minor + infraspinatus
(Two muscles that originate from the posterior back of the scapula)
What is the ‘lightbulb bulb’ sign on shoulder xrays?
Rather than a nobbly head of humerus interacting with the glenoid part of the scapula, a more symmetrical rounded ‘lightbulb’ looking humerus head is apparent (reflecting that it has rotated from the dislocation)
When do posterior dislocations typically occur?
Following an epileptic fit, ECT or electrocution
Name 5 shoulder exam special tests and what they test for:
Neer’s test- passive flexion with supination of hand (impingement)
Speed’s test- flex arm with extended elbow + supinated, flex against resistance (biceps tendonitis)
Jobe test- empty can, abduct + flex 30 degrees forward, thumb point down, and abduct against resistance (supraspinatus)
Drop arm test- lower arm from abduction, sudden drop (rotator cuff tear)
Apprehension test- Elbow flexed 90, abduct 90, try to push the hand back (external rotation) anterior joint instability
Which special test on shoulder would you do if suspecting biceps tendonitis?
Speed’s test- supinate forearm, extend elbow, flex arm against resistance = pain
Which special test on shoulder would you do to check for impingement?
Neer’s test- passive flexion of the arm whilst arm is pronated and scapula stabilised
Painful arc between 60-120 degrees
What special test on the shoulder can you do to check for supraspinatus tear or weakness?
Empty can (Jobe test): Abduct to 90, forward flex to 30, pronated with thumb pointing down, abduct against resistance
What special test can you do to look for rotator cuff tear?
Drop arm test- abduct arm to 160, get patient to lower slower, sudden drop + patient can’t control = positive
What special test can be performed to look for anterior joint instability?
Apprehension test (look for risk of anterior dislocation) Abduct to 90, flex elbow to 90, whilst keeping elbow still push the hand backwards- look for facial apprehension
How does a partial and complete rotator cuff tear present differently?
Supraspinatus controls first 15 degrees of abduction
Partial- painful arc
Complete- supraspinatus does 15 degrees, deltoid does next degrees but can only abduct to 45-60 degrees as scapular does not rotate to allow any further movement.
If passively abducted to 90 the deltoid kicks in and can continue abduction.
Imaging used if rotator cuff muscle tear is suspected?
USS
MRI if labrum involvement (the ligament running around the glenoid aspect of the scapula, making up the joint)
How would partial and complete rotator cuff tears be managed differently?
Complete- open or arthroscopic surgery
Partial- close watchful waiting
Name 3 causes of painful arc/impingement?
Impingement (rotator cuff tendons getting pinched under the acromion) causes painful arc (pain 60-120 degrees of abduction) so things that narrow the space of the tendon in this passage.
- Suprinaspinatus tenditinitis/rupture
- Calcifying tendon (acute inflammation with resorption of calcium)
- Acromioclavicular joint arthritis
Treatment of supraspinatus tendinopathy (tendinitis, degeneration or partial tears)
NB 90% of tendinopathy is without inflammation, not tendonitis but tendonosis
Physio + analgesia
Injections of steroid into the subacrominal bursa
Eventually arthroscopic acromioplasty
Patient was lifting heavy weight and felt pain, on flexion there is a ball of muscle over the upper arm. Diagnosis?
Rupture of long head of biceps = ‘Popeye muscle’
Repair rarely indicated, still functions
What is a frozen shoulder and it’s signs?
Adhesive capsulitis, inflammation of the capsule around the joint, preventing abduction ± external rotation
May be unable to lie on shoulder at night
Rx: NSAIDs, steroid injections
On examination how is painful arc and frozen shoulder differentiated?
Rotator cuff tear- if complete patient can’t abduct past 60 degrees, but passive movement unimpeded and once past 90 degrees deltoids can kick in
Frozen shoulder- capsule is inflamed so abduction limited to 90 degrees, no passive or active movement beyond that
Painful arc- (impingement, partial tear, tendinopathy) pain on abduction 60-120 degrees, then fine above and below that range
How can you tell if a patient has a vertebral wedge fracture on xray?
Difference in anterior and posterior height greater than 3cm, means a wedge of the vertebrae has been crushed
What does it mean if a fracture is avulsed? (Avulsion fracture)
A fragment has separated from the main body of the bone
To rule out an odontoid peg fracture (the dens upward sticking process of the axis vertebrae) in the elderly,what xray view is needed?
Open mouth 'peg' view. The dens (odontoid process) is a sticking up process of the axis that articulates with the atlas joint above
Difference between cervical spondylosis and spondylolisthesis?
Spondy just = spiny
Spondylosis is degeneration of the spine as bony spurs form, discs wear down narrowing the canal and intervertebral foramina
Spondylolisthesis = is slippage of one vertebral disc over another, typically in cervical cases the skull and atlas can slip forward over the axis.
What is the risk of cervical spondylothisthesis and management to reduce this risk?
Slippage of vertebrae over another (skull+ atlas over the axis)
> Spinal cord compression
Rx: Immobilization, spinal fusion
Patient has numbness in ulnar side of hand, muscle wasting of thenar and hypothenar eminances + weak radial pulse. What could be the diagnosis and way of investigating this?
Thoracic outlet compression
(Thoracic outlet is space between clavicle and first rib that structures pass under)
Lower trunk of brachial plexus (C8-T1) aka ulnar nerve- which supplies 1.5 fingers sensation and most intrinsic hand muscles
± subclavian artery- hence weak pulse
Cause: cervical rib or fibrous bands
Lateral epicondylitis is known as tennis or golfers elbow?
Tennis is for LADS (lateral)
Golf is for MUMS (medial)
How can you test for lateral epicondylitis on the elbow exam?
Tennis elbow- the common extensor tendon originates from the lat epicondyle
Get the patient to try to extend the wrist against resistance with elbow extended
Where do the ulnar and median nerve run around the shoulder joint?
Both are found medially, the median nerve on the anterior aspect of the cubital fossa (nerve, brachial artery, biceps tendon over to radial side) and the ulnar nerve under the medial epicondyle.
Radial nerve runs on the radial side, duh
Management of olecranon bursitis? (Student’s elbow- swelling at the back of the elbow joint)
Can be due to trauma (pressing on desk whilst studying), gout or septic joint so aspirate bursa and send for Gram stain and microscopy
When looking at microscopy of gout and pseudogout what would you find with aspirations of each?
Gout- Negative Needles
Pseudogout- Positive rhomboids
Cubitus valgus- where the forearm hangs laterally compared to the elbow is associated with chromosomal defect?
Turner’s syndrome- carrying angle is increased so hand points out from the body more
Causes and treatment of Dupuytren’s contracture?
Genetic- A with Peyronie’s disease
Smoking + drinking
Diabetes
Antiepileptics
In De Quervain’s tenosynovitis which tendons are involved?
Abductor pollicis longus and extensor pollicis brevis (so forcing flexion of the thumb causes them to be stretched the most)
What test is used to illicit pain indicative of De Quervain’s disease (tenosynovitis)?
Finkelstein’s sign- get patient to ulnar flex hand with thumb left free (no pain)
Get patient to ulnar flex hand whilt holding thumb in palm of hand (pain)
= positive
What is trigger finger?
Tendons of the fingers are kept close to the bone by slings of tissue, if the tendon thickens it get’s caught and can’t pass under the sling without some more force causing it to ‘lock, catch or pop thorugh’ or get stuck in a bent position
Patient is found to have supracondylar fracture of the humerus (above the epicondyles), not their hand is fixed such that their forearm is pronated, wrist flexed and swan necking of the fingers. Radial pulse cannot be palpated and passive finger extension is painful. What is the eponymous diagnosis?
Vlkmann’s ischaemic contracture:
Compartment syndrome or brachial artery interruption causes ischaemia and muscle necrosis leading to fixed flexion deformity
Why do a straight leg raise?
To test for a herniated disc (L4 - S1 level)- stretching the sciatic nerve
Flex hip with extended leg, pain at 30-70 degrees = Laségue’s sign positive.
If unsure if the patient is genuine, sit the patient up in bed with legs out front, if they can do this it’s not genuine sciatica
Why and how to do a crossed straight leg raise?
Having illicited pain on the straight leg raise, if the unaffected leg is lifted and it causes pain on the other side it is a more specific indicator of herniated disc.
If a patient has come with acute onset back pain, no red flags, how long should the pain have been lasting before you consider do blood tests?
4 weeks
Patient started getting back pain 5 weeks ago that is severe, what blood tests should the GP order and why?
FBC- chronic disease CRP- inflammation ESR- raised in myeloma + metastases Alk Phos- high in Paget's Calcium
4 main categorical causes of scoliosis?
Idiopathic
Congenital- abnormal development of spine
Neuromuscular- nerve lesions, cerebral palsy/muscular dystrophy
Syndromic- Marfan’s, neurofibromatosis