Items tagged “orthopaedics”

The talar declination angle is used to assess the longitudinal arch height including in Charcot foot. Measurement The talar declination angle is drawn on the weight-bearing lateral foot radiograph between the mid-talar axis and the supporting surface. Interpretation It should usually measure...

The first metatarsal axis is represented by a line drawn down the longitudinal axis of the shaft of the first metatarsal. It can be drawn on lateral and DP radiographs and is used to measure the: first metatarsal inclination angle talo-first metatarsal angle

The angle of the longitudinal arch (calcaneal–fifth metatarsal angle) is one of the angles drawn on the weight-bearing lateral foot radiograph. Measurement The angle is formed between the calcaneal inclination axis and a line drawn along the inferior edge of the 5th metatarsal. Interpretation...

Midfoot equinus is an abnormality in foot alignment where there is abnormal plantarflexion of the foot in the midfoot 1. History and etymology Equinus is the possessive form of equus, the Latin for horse and was originally used for foot deformities in which there is plantar flexion such that a...

A Herbert screw is an instrument used in the internal fixation of an unstable scaphoid fracture. It is a headless screw with thread along its entire length. The two halves of the screw have a different pitch though, which causes compression of the fracture. Indications Unstable scaphoid fractu...

Lateral patellar dislocation refers to lateral displacement followed by dislocation of the patella due to disruptive changes to the medial patellar retinaculum. Epidemiology Patellar dislocation accounts for ~3% of all knee injuries and is commonly seen in those individuals who participate in ...

Isolated distal radioulnar joint (DRUJ) dislocations are rare and are more commonly part of complex forearm fracture-dislocations.  Clinical presentation Wrist pain, swelling and deformity following FOOSH or direct trauma. The patient will be unable to supinate/pronate the forearm 1,2.  Patho...

Dynamic hip screws (DHS) are a femoral head-sparing orthopedic device used to treat femoral neck fractures. It is sometimes referred to as a pin and plate. Femoral neck fractures that are undisplaced and hence have a low risk of avascular necrosis (Garden I and II fractures) can be treated with...

The term off-ended is used by some orthopedic surgeons and radiologists to describe a long bone fracture that is displaced by more than the width of the bone. An off-ended fracture is often shortened due to muscle contraction.

The term amputation refers to the disconnection of all or part of a limb from the body. Specifically, amputation is defined as the removal of the structure through a bone. This is in contrast to disarticulation, which is the removal of the structure through a joint. When due to trauma, traumati...

The term disarticulation refers to the disconnection of all or part of a limb from the body, specifically through a joint. This is in contrast to amputation, which is the disconnection or removal of the structure through a bone.

Four-corner fusion is a partial fusion technique used in some patients with advanced degenerative change in the wrist. Partial fusion reduces pain from the joint while still preserving some motion (as opposed to a total wrist fusion). Indications Advanced arthritis from scapholunate advanced ...

Blade plates, also known as angled blade plates, are a type of orthopedic hardware used for reconstructing subtrochanteric femoral fractures, including therapeutic fractures during derotational osteotomies. Blade plates were an advance on earlier fixation nails such as the Y nail or the Zicker ...

Total hip arthroplasty (THA), also known as total hip replacement (THR), is an orthopedic procedure that involves the surgical excision of the femoral head and cartilage of the acetabulum and replacement of the joint with articulating femoral and acetabular components. It is a commonly performed...

There are many types of talar dislocation given its multiple articulations: tibiotalar dislocation subtalar dislocation total talar dislocation talonavicular dislocation ​Chopart fracture-dislocation

K wires (Kirschner wires) are a type of stabilization wire/pin used in orthopedic surgery. They are pointed stainless steel wires that can be used in multiple roles during internal fixation: as a temporary measure before more definitive fixation thin wires are especially useful for smaller bon...

The anterolateral ligament of the knee (ALL) is a ligament that is thought to aid with rotational stability of the knee joint. Some think that its presence (or reconstruction) may result in better outcomes from ACL stabilization surgery 2. Gross anatomy origin: prominence of the lateral femora...

This is a basic article for medical students and other non-radiologists Proximal femoral fractures are a heterogeneous group of fractures that occur in and around the hip. The commonest type of fracture in this region is the femoral neck fracture. They can occur anywhere between the joint surf...

This is a basic article for medical students and other non-radiologists The medical student musculoskeletal radiology curriculum represents a core set of common pathologies and presentations that are key to understand during any orthopedic attachment in medical school.

Arthrofibrosis is a complication of injury or trauma to a joint. It can also be iatrogenic e.g. post knee surgeries. It consists of excessive scar tissue formation within the joint capsule, resulting in pain, stiffness, and swelling, which are greater than expected in the given clinical scenario...