X-ray of distal radius fracture
Distal radius fracture (Wikimedia Commons)
Authors: Mikael Häggström In projectional radiography ("X-ray") of a distal radius fracture, the most important findings are displacement and whether there is intra-articular involvement.
Displacement
Volar or dorsal tilt
Fracture with a dorsal tilt: Dorsal is left, and volar is right in the image. (Wikimedia Commons)
The volar is dorsal tilt can be described by an angle from the axial plane of the radius, shown in red in the image at right, and goes between:[1]
- A line drawn between the distal ends of the articular surface of the radius.
- A line that is perpendicular to the diaphysis of the radius.
Sometimes, the diaphysis of the radius is hard to distinguish from the ulna, and a line between them (turquoise line) may be used instead.[2]