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Fractures: Bone Repair

Fractures: Bone Repair

Treatment for a fracture is based on the type of break, the bone affected, and the patient's age.
Minor fractures with no bone displacement are treated by immobilizing the fractured bone using a cast or splint. However, in the case of fractures with displaced bones, the broken bones are repositioned before immobilization to ensure successful healing without deformation and loss of function. The realignment of fractured bone ends is performed through a process called reduction. If the procedure...

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Assessment of Bone Fracture Healing Using Micro-Computed Tomography

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Published on: December 9, 2022

Fabella fracture with CT imaging: a case report.

Gregory M Heideman¹, Keith E Baynes, Alan P Mautz

¹Department of Radiology, Medical College of Wisconsin, Froedtert Memorial Lutheran Hospital, Milwaukee, WI, USA. gheidema@mcw.edu

Emergency Radiology

|February 10, 2011

Summary

Fabella fractures are rare knee injuries that can cause posterolateral pain and are often missed. This case highlights computed tomography (CT) as crucial for diagnosing these occult fractures.

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Proximal Cadaveric Femur Preparation for Fracture Strength Testing and Quantitative CT-based Finite Element Analysis

Proximal Cadaveric Femur Preparation for Fracture Strength Testing and Quantitative CT-based Finite Element Analysis

Published on: March 11, 2017

Area of Science:

Orthopedic Surgery
Radiology
Trauma Medicine

Background:

Fracture of the fabella, a small sesamoid bone within the knee's lateral head of the gastrocnemius muscle, is an uncommon injury.
It can be a significant cause of posterolateral knee pain, particularly after trauma or total knee arthroplasty.
Existing literature includes only nine case reports with radiographic documentation of fabella fractures.

Purpose of the Study:

To report a case of a radiographically occult fabella fracture.
To emphasize the utility of computed tomography (CT) in diagnosing fabella fractures.
To highlight the importance of considering fabella fracture in patients with knee trauma.

Main Methods:

A 55-year-old male pedestrian sustained injuries in an automobile accident.
Initial radiographs revealed fractures of the lateral tibial plateau and proximal fibula.
Computed tomography (CT) was performed for surgical planning and identified a nondisplaced fabella fracture not apparent on initial radiographs.

Main Results:

The CT scan revealed a nondisplaced fracture of the fabella.
This finding was radiographically occult on initial plain film radiographs.
This represents the first reported case with CT documentation of a fabella fracture.

Conclusions:

Fabella fractures are rare, clinically important, and frequently overlooked injuries.
A high index of clinical suspicion is necessary for diagnosis.
CT imaging is valuable for confirming suspected or detecting radiographically occult fabella fractures.