Ankle Injury Lab Report
How Does a Doctor Read Your X-Ray?
There are three bones that make up the ankle joint- the tibia, fibula, and talus. When the ankle is fractured, it most commonly involves the distal tibia (medial malleolus) or distal fibula (lateral malleolus). If a doctor suspects a fracture, an X-Ray is often required. Why is this required if a doctor already knows the ankle is fractured? There are three standards views from which an ankle can be X-Rayed. First, the Anterior-Posterior (AP) view is a straight on view, set at an angle in which the ankle joint can be viewed without being blocked by the fibula, as show in the image below. In a healthy ankle, this view shows an evenly spaced joint.
The second standard view is called the Lateral view. This view allows doctors to get a good picture of the medial and lateral malleoli. The edge of the medial malleolus is outlined in blue and the edge of the lateral malleolus is outlined in pink, on the image below.
The final view is the mortise view. This is a view in which the ankle is internally rotated 15 degrees. This view allows doctors to determine if there is shortening of the fibula, which indicates a fracture of the bone.
Joint instability and the loss of normal ankle joint …show more content…
A bimalleolar fracture is a fracture of the ankle that involves the lateral malleolus and the medial malleolus. This is often associated with displacement of bones and widening of the joint, which can only be seen through the use of an X-Ray. The X-Ray is beneficial in this case in order to determine the necessary alignment of the bones during the recovery or surgical process. A trimalleolar fracture is a fracture of the ankle that involves the lateral malleolus, the medial malleolus, and the distal posterior aspect of the tibia, or the posterior malleolus. This fracture is often associated with an extremely unstable joint, ligament damage, or
There are three bones that make up the ankle joint- the tibia, fibula, and talus. When the ankle is fractured, it most commonly involves the distal tibia (medial malleolus) or distal fibula (lateral malleolus). If a doctor suspects a fracture, an X-Ray is often required. Why is this required if a doctor already knows the ankle is fractured? There are three standards views from which an ankle can be X-Rayed. First, the Anterior-Posterior (AP) view is a straight on view, set at an angle in which the ankle joint can be viewed without being blocked by the fibula, as show in the image below. In a healthy ankle, this view shows an evenly spaced joint.
The second standard view is called the Lateral view. This view allows doctors to get a good picture of the medial and lateral malleoli. The edge of the medial malleolus is outlined in blue and the edge of the lateral malleolus is outlined in pink, on the image below.
The final view is the mortise view. This is a view in which the ankle is internally rotated 15 degrees. This view allows doctors to determine if there is shortening of the fibula, which indicates a fracture of the bone.
Joint instability and the loss of normal ankle joint …show more content…
A bimalleolar fracture is a fracture of the ankle that involves the lateral malleolus and the medial malleolus. This is often associated with displacement of bones and widening of the joint, which can only be seen through the use of an X-Ray. The X-Ray is beneficial in this case in order to determine the necessary alignment of the bones during the recovery or surgical process. A trimalleolar fracture is a fracture of the ankle that involves the lateral malleolus, the medial malleolus, and the distal posterior aspect of the tibia, or the posterior malleolus. This fracture is often associated with an extremely unstable joint, ligament damage, or