Articles
Articles are a collaborative effort to provide a single canonical page on all topics relevant to the practice of radiology. As such, articles are written and continuously improved upon by countless contributing members. Our dedicated editors oversee each edit for accuracy and style. Find out more about articles.
More than 200 results
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...
Article
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 ...
Article
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), or subdural effusions, refer to the accumulation of fluid in the subdural space. Where it is associated with head injury it can also be termed a traumatic subdural hygroma.
Epidemiology
Subdural hygromas are encountered in all age-groups bu...
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
Ballistics (overview)
Ballistics is the scientific study of projectiles. Numerous variables determine initial projectile velocity, characteristics of flight, and the projectile's effects on the target. These can be divided into the fields of internal ballistics, external ballistics, and terminal ballistics. Understan...
Article
Terrible triad of the elbow
The terrible triad of the elbow is a severe elbow fracture-dislocation pattern and is so-called because it has poor medium-to-long term outcome.
Epidemiology
The terrible triad primarily occurs in adults; the flexibility of ligaments in children make this constellation unlikely 4. In the uppe...
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
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
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...
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