Articles

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More than 200 results
Article

Tuli classification of occipital condyle fractures

The Tuli classification of occipital condyle fractures is a clinically-orientated system for describing these injuries based on fracture displacement and ligamentous injury. It is newer than the more well-known Anderson and Montesano classification of occipital condyle fractures and allows the i...
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Rectus sheath haematoma

Rectus sheath haematomas, as the term implies, occur when a haematoma forms in the rectus abdominis muscle/rectus sheath. It is most common in its lower segment and is generally self-limiting. Epidemiology Rectus sheath haematomas are more common in women with a 3:1 F:M ratio. Clinical presen...
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Avulsion fracture of the 5th metatarsal tuberosity

Avulsion fractures of the 5th metatarsal tuberosity or styloid process are one of the more common foot avulsion injuries and account for over 90% of fractures of the base of the 5th metatarsal. Terminology The terms ‘tuberosity’ and ‘styloid process’ are synonyms and refer to the portion of th...
Article

Congenital insensitivity to pain

Congenital insensitivity to pain (CIP) refers to a group of rare hereditary sensory and autonomic neuropathies (HSANs) characterised by an inability to feel pain 1. Terminology Although not clearly defined in the literature, congenital insensitivity to pain is not one specific diagnosis but de...
Article

Psoas sign (abdominal x-ray)

The psoas sign is a classic albeit non-specific finding on the abdominal radiograph, potentially representing retroperitoneal pathology. Normally on an abdominal radiograph, the lateral margins of both the psoas muscles are clearly visible due to adjacent fat. When the lateral edge of one, or b...
Article

Classification of gamekeeper thumb

This classification of gamekeeper's thumb (also known as skier's thumb) was proposed by Hintermann et al. 1 in 1993 and is based on whether a fracture is present and whether the injury is stable: type I fracture present, which is non-displaced and stable in flexion typically treated with a sp...
Article

Pericardial fat tag sign (pneumothorax)

The pericardial fat tag sign is a sign of pneumothorax on supine CXR where the cardiac border has a lumpy contour. When gas is located in the pleural space between the lung and mediastinum, the pericardial fat is no longer compressed against the mediastinum and therefore can hang or dangle late...
Article

Bowel and mesenteric trauma

Bowel and mesenteric trauma can result from blunt force, penetrating and iatrogenic trauma. CT is the gold standard imaging modality but CT findings are nonspecific 12. Epidemiology The bowel and mesentery are injured in ~2.5% (range 0.3-5%) of blunt force abdominal trauma 1,3,5,8. However not...
Article

Lesser arc injury

Lesser arc injuries are pure ligamentous perilunate dislocations. They are the "baby brother" of greater arc injuries, which have additional fractures of the radial styloid, scaphoid, capitate, triquetrum, and/or ulnar styloid 1.
Article

Transverse process fracture

Transverse process fractures are common sequelae of trauma, although they are considered minor and stable lumbar spine fractures. There is a strong association between transverse process fractures and other traumatic injuries. Pathology Transverse process fracture most commonly occurs in the u...
Article

Light bulb sign (posterior shoulder dislocation)

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 light bulb sign (hepat...
Article

Nitrous oxide

Nitrous oxide (N2O) is an odourless and colorless gas that can cause a state of euphoria. Nitrous oxide is the least powerful of the inhalational anaesthetic agents, needing up to 104% concentration to reach 1 minimum alveolar concentration (MAC). Thus, it is usually admixed with a more volatil...
Article

Holstein-Lewis fracture

Holstein-Lewis fractures represent a special type of humeral shaft fracture. It is a simple spiral fracture of the distal humerus with a radial displacement of the distal fragment 1,3,4. These fractures are reported to have a higher rate of radial nerve palsy when compared to other humeral shaft...
Article

Costal hook sign (flail chest)

The costal hook sign is a chest x-ray feature seen in some cases of flail chest. It represents the rotation of a fractured rib along its long axis, something that is only possible if a second fracture is present along its length, even if the second fracture is not visible 1. 
Article

Distal ulnar fractures

Distal ulnar fractures are common and usually occur with a concurrent distal radius fracture. Pathology Isolated fractures occur as a result of direct force to the ulna. Fractures associated with radius fractures usually occur as the result of a fall on an outstretched arm. Distal ulnar fract...
Article

Double delta sign (meniscal tear)

The double delta sign is a feature that has been described in a bucket handle meniscal tear when the inner meniscal fragment flipped anteriorly adjacent to the anterior horn of the donor site and is referred to as a displaced bucket handle tear. The original location of the posterior horn remain...
Article

AO Spine classification of thoracolumbar injuries

The AO Spine classification of thoracolumbar injuries is a commonly used thoracolumbar spinal fracture classification system 1,2. The AO Spine system (2013) supercedes the more complex and less reproducible AO Magerl classification 3. Unlike the other widely used system, the thoracolumbar injur...
Article

Occipital condyle fracture

Occipital condylar fractures are uncommon injuries usually resulting from high-energy blunt trauma. They are considered a specific type of basilar skull fracture, and importantly can be seen along with craniocervical dissociation. Treatment of isolated injury is generally conservative, unless t...
Article

Mellado-Bencardino classification of Morel-Lavallée lesions

The Mellado-Bencardino classification of Morel-Lavallée lesions is based on shape, signal and enhancement characteristics, and the presence or absence of a capsule 1:  type I: laminar-shaped and seroma-like with increased T2 signal type II: oval-shape that resembles a subacute haematoma with i...
Article

CHALICE rule

The Children’s Head injury ALgorithm for prediction of Clinically Important Events (CHALICE) clinical decision rule was developed to predict clinically important brain injuries in children with head trauma. This rule identifies high-risk criteria and divides them into history, examination and me...

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