X-ray shows a fracture of the head of the fibula and also indicates a fracture of the tibia. VolumeRAD examination confirmed the fibula fracture (Fig. 2a) but demonstrated that the suspected tibia fracture was a fatty region in the muscle behind the knee.
By Dr. Antoine Scherrer, Head of General and Interventional Radiology, Hôpital Foch, Suresnes, France
Patient history
A young man had a motorcycle accident
Fig. 1, X-ray image
Findings
X-ray shows a fracture of the head of the fibula
(dashed circle) and also indicates a fracture of the tibia
(solid circle) in Fig.1.
The fibula fracture could have been treated in our
hospital, but the tibia fracture required surgery in
another hospital. Transportation by helicopter was
already scheduled when a VolumeRAD examination
confirmed the fibula fracture (Fig. 2a) but demonstrated
that the suspected tibia fracture was actually a fatty
region in the muscle behind the knee (Fig. 3a).
Fig. 2 a (top, left) fibula fracture in VolumeRAD slice at 110 mm
Fig. 2 b (top, right), confirmed by CT
Fig. 3 a (top, left ) VolumeRAD proves that the
suspected lesion is a structure in the muscular tissue
Fig. 3b (top, right ) CT confirms that
Conclusion
Dr. Antoine Scherrer
“For this patient we saved the transportation to the
other hospital and possibly an unnecessary surgery”
