see also: [[Easily missed fractures and dislocations]], [[Neurovascular assessment]] #ortho #radiology | view | soft tissue sign | common fractures | | --------------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | elbow lateral | - posterior fat pad (always abnormal if visible)<br>- anterior "sail" sign | - radial head (adult)<br>- [[Supracondylar humerus fractures\|supracondylar]] and lateral condyle (child) | | wrist lateral | - [[Pasted image 20240320130944.png\|pronator quadratus fat stripe]] | [[Distal radius or ulna fractures\|distal radus fracture]], especially volar displaced | | knee lateral | knee [[tibial plateau fracture#lipohaemarthrosis\|lipohaemarthrosis]] | - [[tibial plateau fracture]]<br>- osteochondral fracture | | ankle lateral | ankle effusion | - distal tibia or fibula fracture<br>- talar dome fracture | | cervical spine lateral | cervicocranial prevertebral soft tissue swelling | cervicocranial injuries | | face: upright (waters view) | maxillary sinus air/fluid level | - blow-out fracture <br>- [[Facial trauma radiology#Le Fort fractures\|LeFort fracture]]<br>- tripod fracture | | head CT | - scalp swelling<br>- pneumocephalus<br>- sphenoid sinus air/fluid level | - skull fracture<br>- open skull fracture (basilar, linear, or depressed fracture) | ## examples ![[Pasted image 20250124005215.png]] left image shows a normal anterior fat pad. right image shows abnormal anterior "sail" sign and posterior fat pad. **Sail sign:** posterior fat pad becomes visible posterior to the olecranon fossa, and the anterior fat pad is displaced anteriorly, forming a radiolucent triangle which looks like a sail