Orthopedic Radiology

Question 1

In terms of electromagnetic radiation, ___ wave lengths will penetrate better.

Answer 1

shorter wave lengths

Question 2

What is the difference between radiopaque and radiolucent?

Answer 2

radiopaque is relatively impenetrable to x-rays

radiolucent is relatively penetrable to x-rays

Question 3

label:

Answer 3

Question 4

WHen asked what views to get, just make sure to get…

Answer 4

perpendicular or orthogonal views!

you can miss things otherwise

Question 5

Will a fracture be radiolucent or radiopaque?

Answer 5

radiolucent - the bone is fractured and fluid gets in between

Question 6

Why do you want to get x-rays of the joints above and below a fracture?

Answer 6

you need to make sure there isn’t a dislocation

Question 7

What are 5 indirect signs of a fracture?

Answer 7

1. soft tissue swelling (will almost always occur)
2. obliteration or displacement of fat stripes
3. periosteal and endosteal reaction (this is part of the healing)
4. buckling of the cortex
5. double cortical line

Question 8

What is it called when there’s a bloody effusion of an area surrounding a fracture?

Answer 8

a hemarthrosis

Question 9

how would you describe the site of fracture…

Answer 9

1. junction of middle and distal third
2. supracondylar
3. intraarticular

(you can also say whether something is metaphaseal or diaphyseal)

Question 10

How would you describe these fracture types?

Answer 10

1. buckle (Torus - as oppose to valgus)
2. greenstick

Question 11

Answer 11

1. simple
2. comminuted

note that compound means it breaks the skin

Question 12

Which direction is it?

Answer 12

1. transverse
2. oblique

Question 13

Answer 13

1. spiral
2. longitudinal (and interarticular in this case)

Question 14

What happened here?

Answer 14

displacement

Question 15

WHat happened here?

Answer 15

angulation (valgus here)

Question 16

How do you describe these alignments?

Answer 16

1. foreshortened (and displaced)
2. distracted

Question 17

What happened here?

Answer 17

a compacted fracture

Question 18

WHat is the difference between a dislocation and a subluxation? Which will show on xray?

Answer 18

dislocation is complete disruption of a joint while subluxation is incomplete disruption

x-ray won’t pick up on a subluxation because the articular surfaces remain in contact

Question 19

WHat does superior displacement of the shoulder joint suggest?

Answer 19

a chronic rotator cuff tear

Question 20

What is a sprain? Will it show up on x-ray?

Answer 20

injury of a ligament

it won’t show up directly on x-ray, but there will be indirect evidence

Question 21

What is the most important imaging modality in arthritis diagnosis? What will the dignosis be based on?

Answer 21

x-ray

diagnosis will be based on the morphology of an articular lesion AND its distribution in the skeleton

Question 22

What are some x-ray findings you’d see in osteoarthritis?

Answer 22

marginal osteophytes = bone spurs

the cortex will look irregulat

it will be raciopaque because it’s thicker due to subchondral sclerosis

there will also be small areas of radiolucency which are subchondral cysts

joint space will be narrow