Objective: This study aimed to define the role of the lateral X-ray in the assessment and treatment planning of proximal femoral fractures. Occult fractures were not included. Methods: Radiographs from 359 consecutive patients with proximal femoral fractures admitted to our emergency department over a 12 month period were divided into anteroposterior (AP) views and lateral views. Three blinded reviewers independently assessed the radiographs, first AP views alone then AP plus lateral views, noting the fracture classification for each radiograph. These assessments were then compared with the intra-operative diagnosis, which was used as the gold standard. A 2 6 2 contingency square table was created and Pearson's x 2 test was used for statistical analysis. Results: The rate of correct classification by the reviewers was improved by the assessment of the lateral X-ray in addition to the AP view for intracapsular fractures (p,0.013) but not for extracapsular fractures (p50.27). However, the only advantage obtained by assessing the lateral view in intracapsular fractures was the detection of displacement where the fracture appeared undisplaced on the initial AP view. Conclusion: This study provides statistical evidence that one view is adequate and safe for the majority of hip fractures. The lateral radiograph should not be performed routinely in order to make considerable savings in money and time and to avoid unnecessary patient discomfort.
Supra-aortic vessel injuries are uncommon but can be life-threatening and surgically challenging. Trauma to these vessels may be blunt or penetrating, including iatrogenic trauma following the insertion of central venous lines, which may be preventable. Recent advances in technology have resulted in endovascular therapy becoming a common first-line treatment, and interventional radiologists now play a major role in the management of these vascular injuries. We review the literature on the endovascular management of these types of injuries and describe a spectrum of case-based extra-cranial supra-aortic vascular injuries managed at our institution and the range of imaging appearances, including active contrast extravasation, traumatic vessel occlusion, true aneurysms, pseudoaneurysms, and arteriovenous fistulae.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.