• This article will focus on the general terminology of fractures and delegate discussion of particular fracture patterns to separate articles (e.g. base of skull fractures ). (radiopaedia.org)
  • Uncomplicated skull fractures themselves rarely produce neurologic deficit, but the associated intracranial injury may have serious neurologic sequelae. (medscape.com)
  • However, skull fractures may be associated with intracranial hemorrhage, which may create an intracranial space-occupying lesion. (medscape.com)
  • Almost invariably, if the fracture involves a paranasal sinus , middle ear or mastoid air cells , then they will contain some blood, which is a helpful clue to the presence of an underlying fracture. (radiopaedia.org)
  • The fracture involves the entire thickness of the skull. (medscape.com)
  • The pattern of fracturing depends on the location, direction and kinetic properties of the impact as well as intrinsic features of the skull 2-4 . (radiopaedia.org)
  • Skull thickness is not uniform, and therefore, the impact of forces required to cause a fracture depends on the site of the impact. (medscape.com)
  • Lateral skull radiograph in a child shows a long, linear fracture extending from the midline in the occipital region across the occipital bone into the temporal bone. (medscape.com)
  • Skull radiograph in a man shows a linear temporoparietal fracture. (medscape.com)
  • Linear fractures, the most common skull fractures, involve a break in the bone but no displacement, and generally no intervention is required. (medscape.com)
  • Fractures of the skull, as with fractures of any bone, occur when biomechanical stresses exceed the bone's tolerance. (radiopaedia.org)
  • Skull fractures may occur with no associated neurologic damage, and conversely, fatal injury to membranes, blood vessels, and brain may occur without overlying fracture. (medscape.com)
  • They need to be distinguished from normal sutures , which have corticated margins that fractures lack. (radiopaedia.org)
  • The skull is formed by the fusion of several flat bones held together by the cranial sutures. (medscape.com)
  • The fracture is more radiolucent than the other sutures, has no serration along its edges, and is blind ending. (medscape.com)
  • Skull fractures, if closed and undisplaced, rarely need any direct management, with treatment being aimed at any associated injury (e.g. extradural hematoma). (radiopaedia.org)
  • In contrast, depressed fractures will often require surgical intervention for cosmesis and reduction in the incidence of post-traumatic epilepsy 1 . (radiopaedia.org)
  • The skull is thick at the glabella, the external occipital protuberance, the mastoid processes, and the external angular process. (medscape.com)
  • Other sites at risk for fracture are the cribriform plate, the roof of orbits in the anterior cranial fossa, and the areas between the mastoid and dural sinuses in the posterior cranial fossa. (medscape.com)
  • It is essential that a bone algorithm is used if undisplaced fractures are to be visualized. (radiopaedia.org)
  • Fractures will appear as discontinuities in the bone and may or may not be displaced. (radiopaedia.org)
  • A skull fracture is a break in the skull bone and generally occurs as a result of direct impact. (medscape.com)
  • The skull vault is composed of cancellous bone, the diploe, which is sandwiched between the inner and outer tables and consists of the lamina externa (1.5 mm) and the lamina interna (0.5 mm). (medscape.com)
  • Skull fractures are common in the setting of both closed traumatic brain injury and penetrating brain injury . (radiopaedia.org)
  • In addition, cerebral edema associated with skull fractures is a common and frequently fatal complication of head injury and may develop within minutes or hours of injury. (medscape.com)
  • Diagram of the skull vault shows the location of various collections of fluid and/or blood. (medscape.com)
  • The middle cranial fossa forms the thinnest part of the skull and thus represents the weakest part, which is further weakened by the presence of multiple foramina. (medscape.com)
  • When a fracture is identified, a careful search for adjacent soft tissue injury should be undertaken. (radiopaedia.org)
  • The trend in pediatric facial fractures is toward resorbable plating systems. (medscape.com)
  • The lack of pneumatization of the frontal sinus correlates with the orbital roof fracture in younger children. (medscape.com)
  • The fracture appears extra-articular and usually proximal to the radioulnar joint. (radiopaedia.org)
  • If fractures are displaced and a stable reduction cannot be achieved, perform a surgical reduction with rigid fixation. (medscape.com)
  • A number of classification systems exist for distal forearm fractures. (radiopaedia.org)
  • A high rate of intracranial injuries is associated with these fractures. (medscape.com)
  • Anterior inferior iliac spine (AIIS) avulsion injuries are one of the six main types of pelvic apophyseal avulsion fractures . (radiopaedia.org)
  • As such, in clinical practice, the use of the term Colles fracture with an appropriate description of any associated injuries is sufficient in most instances. (radiopaedia.org)
  • Younger patients who sustain Colles fractures have usually been involved in high impact trauma or have fallen, e.g. during contact sports, skiing, horse riding 1 . (radiopaedia.org)
  • If fractures are severe or clinical or CT scan evidence of entrapment exists, early surgical exploration and repair are indicated. (medscape.com)
  • An oblique projection can be utilized to demonstrate the fragment in profile. (radiopaedia.org)
  • The vast majority of Colles fractures can be treated with closed reduction and cast immobilization. (radiopaedia.org)
  • Fracture Bed - Cradles - Head-rests - Moving and Lifting Patients. (nih.gov)
  • [ 5 ] Most patients (33 of 41) with orbital fractures were aged 6 years and older. (medscape.com)
  • Patients who have sustained orbital roof fractures should be seen by neurosurgery and ophthalmology consultants. (medscape.com)
  • 5. Milankov M, Harhaji V, Gojković Z, Drapsin M. Heterotopic Ossification Following Surgical Treatment of Avulsion Fracture of the Anterior Inferior Iliac Spine. (radiopaedia.org)
  • They consist of a fracture of the distal radial metaphyseal region with dorsal angulation and impaction, but without the involvement of the articular surface. (radiopaedia.org)
  • The relationship between Colles fractures and osteoporosis is strong enough that when an older male patient presents with a Colles fracture, he should be investigated for osteoporosis because his risk of a hip fracture is also elevated 1 . (radiopaedia.org)
  • Floor fractures are best evaluated with coronal CT scanning, but they can be visualized adequately with well-performed coronal reformations of high-quality axial CT scans. (medscape.com)
  • Anterior inferior iliac spine avulsion fracture: a series of 5 cases. (radiopaedia.org)
  • An associated ulnar styloid fracture is present in up to 50% of cases. (radiopaedia.org)