Presentation
Polytrauma after falling from a 4-metre height. Thorax, lumbar and lower limbs were painful.
Patient Data
Radiographs of the ankle revealed a distal comminuted tibial fracture involving the articular surface and the medial malleolus, hence a pilon fracture.
Case Discussion
Fall from height injuries need thorough assessment as many different regions of the skeleton may be affected.
The greater the height, the more like the patient is to sustain multiple fractures throughout their skeleton.
The most commonly affected areas are:
- skull
- cervical spine
- scapulae
- upper extremities
- rib cage
- lumbar spine
- pelvis
- lower extremities
In the present case, the patient had a distal tibia fracture and a lumbar spine fracture (rID: 97559).