Skeletal System I Flashcards
If you wanted to evaluate a patient’s joints, hands, or feet–what kind of study would you use?
Plain film but the oblique view
For the skeletal system, which type of plain films are best?
AP and Lateral views
If you wanted to evaluate fine bone structure especially– the skull, spine and pelvis–which study would you use?
CT scan
What would you use if you wanted to evaluate soft tissues – muscles, organs, ligaments, cartilage, and spinal cord?
MRI
What would you use if you wanted to evaluate for bone metastases, osteomyelitis, and occult fractures?
Nuclear medicine-bone scan
What is a fracture which goes at an angle to the axis?
Oblique
What is a fracture of many relatively small fragments?
Comminuted
What is a fracture which runs around the axis of the bone?
Spiral
What is an open fracture?
a fracture which breaks the skin
Why is an open fracture important?
because of the possibility of infection
Greenstick fractures occur in which population primarily?
children because they are flexible
What is a Pathologic fracture ?
a fracture in bone that is abnormal
DUE TO a tumor or metabolic disorder
What are Salter-Harris fractures?
are fractures through a growth plate
Name the 5 C-Spine plain films.
- Lateral view
- AP view
- Odontoid view
- Oblique view
- Swimmers view
Which view gives you a view of C7–T1?
Swimmers view
Which view is done only after fracture or dislocation are ruled out – neural foraminal narrowing and alignment of facet joints?
Oblique view
What is the Odontoid view used for?
a C1-C2 relationship (mouth open)
What is the AP view used for?
alignment & oblique fractures
What is the initial view – used to evaluate alignment, spacing, soft tissues & vertebrae?
Lateral view
What are 5 lines that should be evaluated on the lateral view?
- Anterior soft tissue line
- Anterior spinal (vertebral) line
- Posterior spinal (vertebral) line
- Spinolaminar line
- Spinous process line
At the C-spine line–where should the soft tissue line be?
- At C3 the soft tissue should be between 4 and 5 mm
- May be up to 7 mm on a portable film
- Below C4 the soft tissue ranges from 10 to 20 mm (1 – 2 cm).
When you are looking at the C-spine line for the soft tissue, what is an indication that there might be pathology?
If the soft tissue is wider than the adjacent vertebral body
When you are looking at the C-spine line for the soft tissue, what is an indication that there might be pathology?
If the soft tissue is wider than the adjacent vertebral body
What are the most common sites of spinal fractures?
-C1-C2,
C5-C7 and T9-L2