Case: Upper limb radiograph #56633826
Upper limb Beginner
Read this radiograph systematically before revealing the answer. What is the main abnormality?
Image: Louis Philippe Lessard via Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source · resized and converted to WebP
Tip: scroll or pinch to zoom, drag to pan, and try Invert.
Answer: Metacarpal fracture
What to look for in metacarpal fracture
- A fracture line through a metacarpal: head, neck, shaft or base.
- The fifth metacarpal neck is the commonest site (boxer's fracture), with volar angulation of the head.
- Check for rotation clinically and for associated carpometacarpal dislocation on the lateral view.
Description by the image author (may be in another language): Fracture of the 4th Metacarpal Bone. This is an edited version of the source image made for use in the "Anatomist" iOS and Android app and shared here under the terms of the source image's Share Alike Creative Commons license.
Educational case. The diagnosis comes from the image's documented source; the "what to look for" list describes the condition in general and is not a report of this individual image.
