Pseudofractures of the mandible secondary to motion artifact

The case of a patient with a false-positive fracture on the panoramic view of the mandible is presented. The patient motion produced a spurious image that perfectly mimicked a fracture without any evidence of motion. To better assess motion artifact, panoramic views of a "phantom" human skull were developed with movement during the exposure. These radiographs were analyzed with the assistance of a radiologist, and diagnostic features of motion artifact are discussed. Some radiographs were created by movement that mimicked fractures without the telltale signs of motion artifact. These "motion pseudofractures" are diagnosed clinically if the examiner knows that motion can mimic fractures, and all x-ray findings are carefully correlated with clinical findings. Diagnosis of a motion pseudofracture will avoid the additional expense and time of a specialty consultation.