Orthopedic Radiology Flashcards
In terms of electromagnetic radiation, ___ wave lengths will penetrate better.
shorter wave lengths
What is the difference between radiopaque and radiolucent?
radiopaque is relatively impenetrable to x-rays
radiolucent is relatively penetrable to x-rays
label:
WHen asked what views to get, just make sure to get…
perpendicular or orthogonal views!
you can miss things otherwise
Will a fracture be radiolucent or radiopaque?
radiolucent - the bone is fractured and fluid gets in between
Why do you want to get x-rays of the joints above and below a fracture?
you need to make sure there isn’t a dislocation
What are 5 indirect signs of a fracture?
- soft tissue swelling (will almost always occur)
- obliteration or displacement of fat stripes
- periosteal and endosteal reaction (this is part of the healing)
- buckling of the cortex
- double cortical line
What is it called when there’s a bloody effusion of an area surrounding a fracture?
a hemarthrosis
how would you describe the site of fracture…
- junction of middle and distal third
- supracondylar
- intraarticular
(you can also say whether something is metaphaseal or diaphyseal)
How would you describe these fracture types?
- buckle (Torus - as oppose to valgus)
- greenstick
- simple
- comminuted
note that compound means it breaks the skin
Which direction is it?
- transverse
- oblique
- spiral
- longitudinal (and interarticular in this case)
What happened here?
displacement
WHat happened here?
angulation (valgus here)
How do you describe these alignments?
- foreshortened (and displaced)
- distracted
What happened here?
a compacted fracture
WHat is the difference between a dislocation and a subluxation? Which will show on xray?
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
WHat does superior displacement of the shoulder joint suggest?
a chronic rotator cuff tear
What is a sprain? Will it show up on x-ray?
injury of a ligament
it won’t show up directly on x-ray, but there will be indirect evidence
What is the most important imaging modality in arthritis diagnosis? What will the dignosis be based on?
x-ray
diagnosis will be based on the morphology of an articular lesion AND its distribution in the skeleton
What are some x-ray findings you’d see in osteoarthritis?
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
