Articles

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698 results found
Article

Anderson and Montesano classification of occipital condyle fractures

The Anderson and Montesano classification is a widely used system for describing occipital condyle fractures. It divides injuries into three types based on morphology and mechanism of injury 1-5. Classification type I: impacted type occipital condyle fracture morphology: comminution of the co...
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Avulsion injury

Avulsion injuries or fractures occur where the joint capsule, ligament, tendon or muscle attachment site is pulled off from the bone, usually taking a fragment of cortical bone. Avulsion fractures are commonly distracted due to the high tensile forces involved. There are numerous sites at which ...
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Tension pneumothorax

Tension pneumothoraces occur when intrapleural air accumulates progressively with hemodynamic compromise 10. It is a life-threatening occurrence requiring both rapid recognition and prompt treatment to avoid a cardiorespiratory arrest. For a general discussion, refer to the pneumothorax article...
Article

Subdural hygroma

Subdural hygromas (alternative plural: hygromata 9) refer to the accumulation of fluid in the subdural space. In many cases, it is considered an epiphenomenon of head injury when it is called a traumatic subdural hygroma.  Epidemiology Subdural hygromas are encountered in all age-groups but ar...
Article

Essex-Lopresti fracture-dislocation

Essex-Lopresti fracture-dislocation is characterized by a fracture of the radial head, dislocation of the distal radioulnar joint and rupture of the antebrachial interosseous membrane 3. Epidemiology As little as 20% of Essex-Lopresti fracture-dislocations are recognized at the time of initial...
Article

Stove-in chest

A stove-in chest is a rare and complex type of flail chest injury where the flail segment collapses into the chest. It is usually due to severe blunt trauma to the chest wall and is rarely encountered in imaging or emergency medicine due to the high mortality at the scene. It may evolve over day...
Article

Hemotympanum

Hemotympanum is the presence of blood in the middle ear cavity. It is usually secondary to trauma. Clinical presentation Typically on otoscopy a bulging red to purple to dark blue colored tympanic membrane is visible, color varying with age of the hemorrhage.  Pathology The hemorrhage has us...
Article

Segmental fracture

Segmental fracture is a fracture composed of at least two fracture lines that together isolate a segment of bone, usually a portion of the diaphysis of a long bone. This fracture pattern is frequently associated with high energy mechanism and devascularisation of the segmental fracture fragment(...
Article

Stab wound (overview)

Stab wounds are a form of penetrating trauma that may be self-inflicted or inflicted by another person either accidentally or intentionally. They may be caused by a variety of objects and may occur anywhere in the body. Terminology Although commonly caused by a knife as well, slash injuries di...
Article

Galeazzi fracture-dislocation

Galeazzi fracture-dislocations consist of a fracture of the distal part of the radius with disruption of the distal radioulnar joint. A Galeazzi-equivalent fracture is a distal radial fracture with a distal ulnar physeal fracture 2. Epidemiology Galeazzi fractures are primarily encountered in ...
Article

Subcutaneous emphysema

Subcutaneous emphysema (also known commonly, although less correctly, as surgical emphysema), strictly speaking, refers to gas in the subcutaneous tissues. But the term is generally used to describe any soft tissue emphysema of the body wall or limbs since the gas often dissects into the deeper ...
Article

Pooping duck sign

Pooping duck sign indicates the presence of a triquetral fracture on a lateral wrist radiograph, where an avulsed fracture fragment from the dorsal cortex of the triquetrum projects along the dorsal aspect of the osseous structures of the wrist. In this sign, the fracture fragment represents th...
Article

Muscle tear

Muscle tears or strains are common injuries, both in athletes and non-athletes.  Terminology Muscle strain is a term that is used variably clinically and in the medical literature. The Munich consensus statement (expert level evidence) states muscle tear is the preferred term denoting "structu...
Article

Hamstring injury

Hamstring injuries are the most common muscle injury, and are very common in athletes and can cause a significant loss of playing time depending on the sport.  Epidemiology Amongst professional athletes, hamstring injuries are reported to make up 15% of all injuries in Australian Football play...
Article

Clival fracture

Clival fractures are uncommon skull base fractures resulting from high-energy cranial trauma and are usually associated with other skull vault fractures and brain injuries. For a general discussion, please refer to the article on basilar fractures of the skull. Epidemiology Most fractures of ...
Article

Acute aortic syndrome

Acute aortic syndrome describes the presentation of patients with one of a number of life-threatening aortic pathologies that give rise to similar clinical presentations. Exactly which entities are included under the umbrella term acute aortic syndrome varies somewhat from publication to public...
Article

Penile fracture

Penile fracture or rupture is a rare event, however one that requires emergency diagnosis and intervention. It is a rupture of the penile tunica albuginea of the corpora cavernosa or spongiosum caused by trauma to an erect penis, most commonly during sexual intercourse. The urologist needs to kn...
Article

Whiplash syndrome

Whiplash syndrome, also known as whiplash-associated disorders (WAD), are the various symptoms caused by rapid acceleration and/or deceleration injuries, which result in cervical sprain or strain. Epidemiology Whiplash is a common injury, usually associated with motor vehicle collisions 1-5. T...
Article

Pulmonary laceration

Pulmonary lacerations result from frank laceration of lung parenchyma secondary to trauma. There is almost always concurrent contusion. Epidemiology Contusions and lacerations follow blunt or penetrating chest trauma, and are almost always seen with other chest (and abdominal) injuries. While ...
Article

Bone bruise

Bone bruises (also known as bone contusion, trabecular microfracture) are an osseous injury that results from compression of bone structures. Pathology Bone bruises represent trabecular microfractures with hemorrhage and without a discrete fracture line or contour abnormality 4. They typically...

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