THE SKELETAL RADIOGRAPH
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Diffuse increase in density
Think of neoplasia, fl uorosis, sarcoidosis, bone dysplasia (osteopetrosis).
Abnormalities of bone modelling
Developmental disorders, e.g. osteochondrodysplasia, are often present
from birth. Look for abnormalities of the eyes, heart, and ears. Thorough
assessment by biochemical and genetic specialist required.
Local abnormalities may occur in congenital disorders, e.g. endochon-
dromatosis (Ollier’s disease), fi brous dysplasia, neurofi bromatosis, or
acquired disorders, e.g. Paget’s disease.
Solitary lesions
Always think of sepsis, primary bone tumours, or secondary metastasis.
Location and age are important, e.g. an epiphyseal lesion in a child may
be a chondroblastoma and a subarticular lesion in a young adult may be a
giant cell tumour. The older the patient, the more likely it is a metastasis.
Describing a fracture
• First check details match patient (i.e. date of X-ray, patient age, side,
hospital number).
• Ensure the appropriate X-ray is taken with two views at 90° to each
other (e.g. an X-ray of an ankle, rather than the whole lower leg).
• Which bone is fractured?
• Where is the fracture in the bone? Joint (intra-articular), proximal,
middle, or distal third, or metaphysis (fl ares at end of bones), diaphysis
(shaft), physis (growth plate), and epiphysis (end part of bone) in
children.
• What is the pattern? Transverse, oblique, spiral, comminuted or
multifragmentary, segmental.
• Is there displacement? Quantify this (e.g. 50% of bone width or
completely ‘off ended’ >100%).
• Is there any angulation? Which direction (varus, valgus, recuvartum)?
• If a joint is involved, comment on whether it is ‘in joint’ or dislocated.
• Other things to look for are gas in soft tissues (suggests open fracture
or gas-forming infection), foreign bodies (metal, glass, grit), fl uid in
joints (e.g. lipohaemarthrosis in knee suggests fracture), fat pad signs in
the elbow (suggest fracture and are prominent due to blood in joint).
• A ring-like structure (e.g. the bony pelvis) rarely fractures in only one
place; if you fi nd one fracture, look hard for another one!
• Comment on implants if present and the proximity and involvement
of this to fracture (periprosthetic fractures of a total hip replacement
(THR) or total knee replacement (TKR)).
• Pitfalls. Is it a fracture? Structures that may be mistaken for fractures
include suture lines between bones, vascular channels, and physes
in immature skeletons. Anatomic structures are more likely to be
symmetrical, if not midline.
Further reading
Raby N, Berman L, de Lacy G (2005). Accident and emergency radiology: a survival guide, 2nd edn.
Saunders, London.
Nicholson DA, Driscoll P (1995). ABC of emergency radiology. BMJ Books, Wiley, England.