Week 4

Question 1

What three bones fused together make up the pelvis?

Answer 1

Ilium
Ischium
Pubis

Question 2

What two ligaments in the pelvis form the greater and lesser sciatic foramina?

Answer 2

Sacrospinous ligament

Sacrotuberous ligament

Question 3

What nerve supplies the quadriceps?

Answer 3

Femoral nerve

Question 4

Which nerve supplies the hamstrings?

Answer 4

Sciatic nerve

Question 5

Which nerve supplies the adductor muscles?

Answer 5

Obturator nerve

Question 6

Which nerve supplies the anterior compartment of the leg?

Answer 6

Deep fibular nerve

Question 7

Which nerve supplies the lateral compartment of the leg?

Answer 7

Superficial fibular nerve

Question 8

Which nerve supplies the superficial and deep posterior compartments of the leg?

Answer 8

Tibial nerve

Question 9

Which imaging technique is best for viewing the bones?

Which imaging technique is best for viewing soft tissue structures (bone marrow, discs, ligaments, spinal cord etc.)?

Answer 9

X ray is best for bones

MRI is best for soft tissue

CT does a bit of both - bone outlines in more detail and some soft tissues

Question 10

What are the normal curvatures of the spine?

Answer 10

Cervical lordosis
Thoracic kyphosis
Lumbar lordosis

Question 11

What sign seen on an X ray spells trouble for the spinal cord? I.e. What abnormalities are you looking for?

Answer 11

Considerable changes in size between consecutive vertebrae

Loss of alignment

Question 12

When is CT used to visualise spinal trauma?

Answer 12

When X-rays is normal but there is high clinical suspicion of fracture, CT provides more detail

Question 13

What is the purpose of spinal ligaments? How can they be assessed via X-ray?

Answer 13

Ligaments tether vertebrae together and keep the spine stable

Seeing normal vertebral alignment implies the ligaments are intact and the spine is stable

Question 14

How do ligaments appear when viewed on an MRI?

Answer 14

Normal - black

Damaged - light

Question 15

Bone tumours and imaging - what features can be visualised on X ray and CT?
What features are uniquely visualised on MRI

Answer 15

X ray and CT - bone destruction, vertebral disc collapse and bone sclerosis

Unique to MRI - (early) bone marrow infiltration, (late) extramural mass and spinal cord compression

Question 16

What feature indicates bone destruction on X ray?

Answer 16

Change from “owl face” to “winking owl face”

Question 17

What change occurs in intervertebral disc makeup as a prelude to disease?

Answer 17

Dehydration - healthy discs are pliable and contain water

Question 18

What is the mechanism of disease in sciatica?

Answer 18

Disc material herniates through the lining into the spinal canal, which may then press on nerves and produce sciatic pain

Question 19

X rays are unhelpful in diagnosing sciatica! What imaging technique should be used?

Answer 19

MRI