Skip to main content Accessibility help
×
Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-2brh9 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-23T02:58:55.996Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

7 - Plain Radiography of the Pediatric Extremity

from PART I - PLAIN RADIOGRAPHY

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  07 December 2009

J. Christian Fox
Affiliation:
University of California, Irvine
Get access

Summary

INDICATIONS

Plain extremity radiographs are indicated in pediatric patients with significant mechanism of injury; pain; limitation of use or motion; or physical exam evidence of deformity, swelling, or tenderness. The joint above and below the site of injury should be carefully examined, and radiographs of adjacent joints should be obtained when indicated. Occasionally, parental pressure to exclude fractures is a contributing factor in determining the need for extremity radiographs.

DIAGNOSTIC CAPABILITIES

Pediatric extremities consist of growing bones and ossifications centers, with wide variability in normal-appearing bones based on age. Despite these variations, a basic understanding of bone development physiology and time of onset of certain radiographic findings, particularly ossification centers of the elbow, is important in order to accurately interpret these films. Physeal injuries, which involve the growth plate, comprise up to one-third of all pediatric fractures. Because the physis itself is radiolucent, physeal fractures are not always evident on initial plain radiographs. Follow-up plain radiographs and, occasionally, imaging with magnetic resonance or nuclear bone scan may be necessary.

Minimum views of the extremity should include anteroposterior (AP) and lateral. Ensure that a true lateral of the elbow is obtained because fat pads may be obscured or distorted with any sort of rotated technique.

Type
Chapter
Information
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2008

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

Save book to Kindle

To save this book to your Kindle, first ensure [email protected] is added to your Approved Personal Document E-mail List under your Personal Document Settings on the Manage Your Content and Devices page of your Amazon account. Then enter the ‘name’ part of your Kindle email address below. Find out more about saving to your Kindle.

Note you can select to save to either the @free.kindle.com or @kindle.com variations. ‘@free.kindle.com’ emails are free but can only be saved to your device when it is connected to wi-fi. ‘@kindle.com’ emails can be delivered even when you are not connected to wi-fi, but note that service fees apply.

Find out more about the Kindle Personal Document Service.

Available formats
×

Save book to Dropbox

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Dropbox.

Available formats
×

Save book to Google Drive

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive.

Available formats
×