Ankle joint effusion

Case contributed by Andrew Dixon
Diagnosis certain

Presentation

Inversion injury to the right ankle.

Patient Data

Age: 9 years
Gender: Male
x-ray

Lateral radiograph demonstrates a nice example of an ankle joint effusion within the anterior recess. The joint effusion is seen as a teardrop-shaped or ovoid soft tissue density displacing the anterior fat pad. A less well-defined portion of the effusion is also seen within the posterior recess.

Annotated image

Ankle joint effusion - anterior aspect highlighted by red arrows. 

Case Discussion

Lateral radiograph demonstrating joint effusion in both the anterior and posterior ankle recesses.

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