Test yourself
Fracture ultrasound: follow the cortex
5 questions. Pick an answer to see whether you are right and why. Your score appears at the end.
Question 1What is the main direct ultrasound sign of a fracture?
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Answer c. Ultrasound reflects off the bone surface, so a break in the cortex is the sign to find.
Question 2Why turn the probe 90 degrees?
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Answer b. Seeing it in two planes stops you mistaking an oblique interface or a normal contour for a fracture.
Question 3Which finding supports a fracture but does not prove one on its own?
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Answer a. Soft tissue signs add weight but are not specific.
Question 4What commonly mimics a fracture in children?
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Answer b. Knowing the developing anatomy, and comparing with the other side, avoids this trap.
Question 5Can a normal focused scan exclude every fracture?
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Answer a. Some surfaces cannot be reached and some injuries need X-ray, CT or MRI.
Practise it with us
Four or five delegates per instructor, FAMUS-accredited faculty and long, supervised time on the probe.
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