Light bulb sign (posterior shoulder dislocation)
Last revised by Daniel J Bell on 15 May 2021
Citation, DOI, disclosures and article data
Citation:
Dixon A, Bell D, Shah V, et al. Light bulb sign (posterior shoulder dislocation). Reference article, Radiopaedia.org (Accessed on 16 Apr 2024) https://doi.org/10.53347/rID-18811
Permalink:
rID:
18811
Article created:
22 Jul 2012,
Andrew Dixon ◉
Disclosures:
At the time the article was created Andrew Dixon had no recorded disclosures.
View Andrew Dixon's current disclosures
Last revised:
15 May 2021,
Daniel J Bell ◉
Disclosures:
At the time the article was last revised Daniel J Bell had no recorded disclosures.
View Daniel J Bell's current disclosures
Revisions:
10 times, by
10 contributors -
see full revision history and disclosures
Systems:
Sections:
Tags:
Synonyms:
- Light-bulb sign - humerus
- The lightbulb sign - shoulder
- Lightbulb sign - shoulder
The light bulb sign refers to the abnormal AP radiograph appearance of the humeral head in posterior shoulder dislocation.
When the humerus dislocates it also internally rotates such that the head contour projects like a light bulb when viewed from the front 1.
See also
Quiz questions
{"containerId":"expandableQuestionsContainer","displayRelatedArticles":true,"displayNextQuestion":true,"displaySkipQuestion":true,"articleId":18811,"questionManager":null,"mcqUrl":"https://radiopaedia.org/articles/light-bulb-sign-posterior-shoulder-dislocation/questions/1380?lang=us"}
References
- 1. Wright B, Booth J. The 'light bulb' sign. J Accid Emerg Med. 1995;11 (3): 210. Free text at pubmed - Pubmed citation
Incoming Links
Articles:
Cases:
- Posterior shoulder dislocation
- Bilateral anterior shoulder dislocation
- Posterior glenohumeral dislocation
- Acute posterior shoulder dislocation (ultrasound)
- Posterior shoulder dislocation
- Posterior shoulder dislocation with reverse Hill-Sachs and reverse bony Bankart injuries
- Posterior shoulder dislocation
- Posterior shoulder dislocation
- Posterior shoulder dislocation
- Posterior shoulder dislocation with reverse Hill-Sachs
- Posterior shoulder dislocation
- Posterior shoulder dislocation
- Posterior shoulder dislocation
- Lightbulb sign
- Posterior shoulder dislocation
- Posterior shoulder dislocation
- Right shoulder posterior dislocation with glenoid engagement
- Posterior shoulder instability
- Lightbulb sign - posterior shoulder dislocation
- Lightbulb sign - posterior shoulder dislocation
Multiple choice questions:
Related articles: Inspired signs
-
inanimate object inspired
- accordion sign
- astronomical inspired
- ball of wool sign
- ball on tee sign (renal papillary necrosis)
- boot-shaped heart
- bowler hat sign
- bow tie sign
- box-shaped heart
- bucket handle appearance (disambiguation)
- chain of lakes sign
- champagne glass pelvis
- cobblestone appearance
- Coca-Cola bottle sign
- cockade sign (disambiguation)
- coin lesion
- collar button ulcer
- comb sign
- corduroy artifact
- corduroy sign
-
corkscrew sign (disambiguation)
- corkscrew sign (diffuse esophageal spasm)
- corkscrew sign (inner ear)
- corkscrew sign (midgut volvulus)
- crazy paving sign
- cupola sign
- curtain sign (lung ultrasound)
- dinner fork deformity
- dripping candle wax sign
- finger in glove sign
- fishhook ureters
- flame-shaped breast (gynecomastia)
- football sign (pneumoperitoneum)
- frozen pelvis
- ghost triad (gallbladder)
- ghost vertebra
- goblet sign
- ground glass opacity
- hockey stick sign (disambiguation)
- horseshoe (disambiguation)
- hourglass sign
- hurricane sign (cardiac SPECT)
- jail bar sign
- keyhole sign (disambiguation)
- leather bottle stomach
- light bulb sign (disambiguation)
- Lincoln log vertebra
- Mercedes-Benz sign (disambiguation)
- misty mesentery sign
- mosaic appearance (disambiguation)
- napkin ring sign
- open book fracture
- pearl necklace sign
- pencil in a cup
- picture frame vertebral body
- polka-dot sign
- rachitic rosary
- ribbon rib deformity
- ring shadow
- rugger jersey spine
- sack of marbles sign
- sail sign (disambiguation)
- scalpel sign
- spilled teacup sign
- stepladder sign (disambiguation)
-
string of pearls sign (disambiguation)
- string of pearls sign (abdominal radiograph of small bowel)
- string of pearls sign (polycystic ovarian syndrome)
- string of pearls sign (fibromuscular dysplasia)
- string of pearls sign (watershed infarction)
- Tam o' Shanter sign
- telephone receiver deformity
- thimble bladder
- tombstone iliac wings
- Venetian blind sign
- Venus necklace sign
- water bottle sign
-
weapon and munition inspired signs
- arrowhead sign
- bayonet artifact
- bayonet deformity
- boomerang sign (disambiguation)
- bullet-shaped vertebra
- cannonball metastases
- Cupid bow contour
- dagger sign
- double barrel sign
- halberd pelvis
- hatchet sign
- panzerherz
- pistol grip deformity
- saber-sheath trachea
- scimitar syndrome
-
target sign (disambiguation)
- double target sign (hepatic abscess)
- eccentric target sign (cerebral toxoplasmosis)
- reverse target sign (cirrhotic nodules)
- target sign (cholangiocarcinoma)
- target sign (choledocholithiasis)
- target sign (hepatic metastases)
- target sign (intussusception)
- target sign (neurofibromas)
- target sign (pyloric stenosis)
- target sign (tuberculosis)
- trident appearance
- Viking helmet sign
- white pyramid sign
- windswept knees
- wine bottle sign
-
vegetable and plant inspired
- aubergine sign
- bamboo spine
- blade of grass sign
- celery stalk appearance (disambiguation)
- coconut left atrium
- coffee bean sign
- cotton wool appearance
- drooping lily sign
- ginkgo leaf sign (disambiguation)
- holly leaf sign
- iris sign
- ivy sign
- miliary opacities
- mistletoe sign
- onion signs (disambiguation)
- pine cone bladder
-
popcorn calcification (disambiguation)
- popcorn calcification (breast)
- popcorn calcification (chondroid lesions)
- popcorn calcification (fibrous dysplasia)
- popcorn calcification (osteogenesis imperfecta)
- popcorn calcification (pulmonary hamartomas)
- popcorn calcification (uterine fibroid)
- potato nodes
- rice signs (disambiguation)
- salt and pepper sign (disambiguation)
- tombstone iliac wings
- tree-in-bud
- tulip sign
- water lily sign
-
fruit inspired
- apple core sign (disambiguation)
- apple-peel intestinal atresia
- banana and egg sign
- banana fracture
- banana sign
- berry aneurysm
- bowl of grapes sign
-
bunch of grapes sign (disambiguation)
- bunch of grapes sign (hydatidiform mole)
- bunch of grapes sign (bronchiectasis)
- bunch of grapes sign (IPMN)
- bunch of grapes sign (botryoid rhabdomyosarcoma)
- bunch of grapes sign (intracranial tuberculoma)
- bunch of grapes sign (intraosseous hemangiomas)
- bunch of grapes sign (multicystic dysplastic kidney)
- cashew nut sign
- lemon sign
- pear-shaped bladder
- strawberry gallbladder
- strawberry skull
- watermelon skin sign
-
animal and animal produce inspired
- human
- mammals
- anteater nose sign
- antler sign
- batwing opacities
- bear paw sign
- beaver tail liver
- Brahma bull sign
- buffalo chest
- bull's eye sign (disambiguation)
- bunny waveform sign
- claw sign
- dog ear sign
- dog leg sign
- dromedary hump
- ears of the lynx sign
- eye of tiger sign
- feline esophagus
- giraffe pattern
- hidebound sign
- ivory phalanx
- ivory vertebra sign
- joint mouse
- leaping dolphin sign
- leopard skin sign
- moose head appearance
- panda sign
- piglet sign
- pleural mouse
- raccoon eyes sign
- rat bite erosions
- rat-tail sign
- Scottie dog sign
- Snoopy sign
- stag's antler sign
- staghorn calculus
- tiger stripe sign
-
zebra sign (disambiguation)
- zebra sign: (cerebellar hemorrhage)
- zebra spleen: arterial phase (spleen)
- zebra stripe sign (osteogenesis imperfecta)
- amphibians
- birds
- bird beak sign (disambiguation)
- bird's nest sign (lung)
- crow feet sign
- egg on a string sign
- eggshell calcification (breast)
- eggshell calcification (lymph nodes)
- gooseneck sign (endocardial cushion defect)
- gull wing appearance
- hummingbird sign
- owl eyes sign
- pooping duck sign
- sitting duck appearance
- swallowtail sign
- swan neck deformity
- winking owl sign
- fish and marine life
- reptiles
- arthropods
- micro-organisms
- fictional creatures
-
food inspired
- Cheerio sign (disambiguation)
- chocolate cyst
- cottage loaf sign
- double Oreo cookie (glenoid labrum)
- doughnut sign (disambiguation)
- hamburger sign (spine)
- head cheese sign (lungs)
- honeycombing (lungs)
- hot cross bun sign (pons)
- ice cream cone sign (middle ear ossicles)
- ice cream cone sign (vestibular schwannoma)
- licked candy stick appearance (bones)
- linguine sign (breast implants)
- macaroni sign
- omental cake
- Oreo cookie (heart)
- pancake organ (disambiguation)
- Polo mint sign
- salad oil sign (breast implants)
- sandwich sign (disambiguation)
- sandwich vertebra
- sausage digit
- spaghetti sign
- Swiss cheese sign
-
alphabet inspired
- A line (US artifact)
- C sign (MSK)
- delta sign (disambiguation)
- E sign
- H-shaped vertebra
- H sign
- J-shaped sella
- J sign (shoulder)
- L sign (brain)
- lambda sign (disambiguation)
- M sign
- omega epiglottis
- O sign (gastric banding)
- P sign (epiglottis)
- S sign of Golden
- tau sign
- T sign (disambiguation)
- U fibers
- U-figure (pelvis)
- U sign (brain)
- V sign (disambiguation)
- W hernia
- X-marks-the-spot sign
- Y sign (epidural lipomatosis)
- Z deformity
-
Christmas inspired
- Christmas tree bladder in neurogenic bladder
- holly leaf sign in calcified pleural plaques
- ivy sign in leptomeningeal enhancement
- nutcracker esophagus in esophageal dysmotility
- shepherd's crook deformity of the femur in fibrous dysplasia
- snowcap sign in avascular necrosis
- snowman sign (disambiguation)
- snowstorm appearance in complete hydatidiform mole and testicular microlithiasis
- miscellaneous
Unable to process the form. Check for errors and try again.