TRAUMA RADIOGRAPHY

• Trauma radiography menu


  • Avulsion Fracture
  • Boxer's Fracture
  • Blow-out Fracture
  • Colles' Fracture
  • Comminuted Fracture
  • Compression Fracture
  • Decapitation
  • Elbow Fracture: Fat Pad Sign
  • Greenstick Fracture
  • Hip Fractures
  • Jones Fracture
  • Monteggia Fracture
  • Compound Fracture
  • Salter-Harris Fracture
  • Scaphoid Fracture
  • Spiral Fracture
  • Torus Fracture
  • Transverse Fracture
  • Tripod Fracture
• Avulsion fracture


  Occurs when a ligament or tendon tears off a piece of bone
• Most avulsion fractures are treated as a soft tissue injury and do not require surgical repair
• Avulsion fracture at the base of the 5th metatarsal, sometimes called a "Pseudo-Jones" fracture
• Boxer's fracture


  Fracture at the head of the 4th or 5th metacarpal, usually from striking a firm object with a closed fist
• Most boxer's fractures can heal with a cast but some severe cases may require surgical repair
• Blow-out fracture


  Fracture of the orbital floor, wall, or roof, often involving the maxillary bone
• Following blunt trauma to the eye, the contents of the orbit compress and push down into the maxillary sinus
• Surgery may be indicated in some instances to relieve symptoms of double vision and/or muscle entrapment
• Colles' fracture


  Fracture of the distal radius with posterior and lateral displacement, often from falling backwards onto an outstretched hand
• Colles' fractures can often be treated with a closed reduction and cast, but severe fractures may require surgical internal fixation
• Comminuted fracture


  Multiple bone fragments, often from a crushing injury or gunshot wound
• Comminuted fracture of the skull with fluid level, from a gunshot wound
• Comminuted fracture of the calcaneus, from falling feet first into an empty pool
• Compression fracture


  Vertebral body is crushed and collapses down upon itself, can be from trauma, cancer, or osteoporosis
• Treatments for compression fractures


  • Back brace
  • Surgical internal fixation
  • Vertebroplasty (injection of cement)
• Compression fracture of L4 from a motor vehicle accident
• Surgical cage and rods used to stabilize a compression fracture
• Vertebroplasty performed to inject cement into compression fractures and prevent further collapse
• Individual decapitated by a helicopter blade
• Elbow fracture: fat pad sign


  Subtle distal humerus fracture indicated by displacement of the posterior fat pad
• Lateral radiograph demonstrates a positive fat pad sign indicative of a distal humerus fracture
• Greenstick fracture


  Partial fracture common in children, analogous to the inability to cleanly break a green twig
• Greenstick fracture of the distal radius and ulna in a child
• Types of hip fractures

  • Femoral head fracture
  • Femoral neck or transcervical fracture
  • Intertrochanteric fracture
  • Subtrochanteric fracture
• Femoral neck or transcervical fracture


  • Blood supply to the femoral head is almost always disrupted, often treated with total hip replacement
• Intertrochanteric fracture


  • Blood supply to the hip is usually not disrupted, can often be reduced with plate and screws
• Partial fracture


  Commonly associated with children, pliable nature of their bones and inability to cleanly break a green twig
• Hip fractures


  • Occur on the proximal end of the femur, usually result of a fall from an elderly patient with osteoporosis
• Classifications of hip fractures

  • Femoral Head Fracture
  • Femoral Neck or Transcervical Fracture
  • Intertrochanteric Fracture
  • Subtrochanteric Fracture
• Femoral Neck or Transcervical Fracture


  Blood supply to the femoral head is almost always disrupted, often treated with a total hip replacement
• Intertrochanteric Fracture


  Usually do not damage the blood supply to the hip, can often be reduced with surgical insertion of a metal plate and screws
• Subtrochanteric Fracture


  Occurs just below the level of the intertrochanteric crest, may extend down the femur
• Open Reduction Internal Fixation


  Reduction of intertrochanteric hip fracture required surgical insertion of AMBI hip pin, plate, and screws
• Jones Fracture


  Occurs on the shaft of the 5th metatarsal, more difficult to heal than an avulsion fracture, may require surgical insertion of a screw or bone graft
• Monteggia Fracture


  Results from a fall on an outstretched arm, involves a fracture of the proximal third of the ulna combined with a dislocation of the radial head, requires surgical repair
• Open or Compound Fracture

  Bone pierces the skin, almost always require surgical insertion of internal fixation devices
• Types of Salter-Harris Fractures

  • Type I
  • Type II
  • Type III
  • Type IV
  • Type V
• Salter-Harris Type II Fracture

  Most common, epiphysis partially dislocated from metaphysis, metaphysis also cracked
• Salter-Harris Type III Fracture

  Fractured epiphysis combined with partial dislocation between epiphysis and metaphysis, often requires surgery