RADR 2217 - Radiographic Pathology –
Final exam with answers
What are the different levels of trauma hospitals? - CORRECT
ANSWERS ✔✔Level I, Level II, Level III, Level IV
Describe Level I Trauma centers. - CORRECT ANSWERS ✔✔Total
care for all injuries, 24-hr surgery team, cardiac, hand, pediatric and
microvascular surgeries. Provides prevention, education and
research. Treat 1200+ admissions and/or 240 major trauma
patients per year
Describe Level II Trauma centers. - CORRECT ANSWERS ✔✔Most
common trauma centers, 24-hr general surgery team, available
coverage of ortho, neuro, and anesthesiology. Generally a community
hospital.
Describe Level III Trauma centers. - CORRECT ANSWERS
✔✔Centers located in rural areas that provide prompt assessment,
resuscitation, stabilizations, and provide transport to higher level
trauma centers.
,Describe Level IV Trauma centers. - CORRECT ANSWERS
✔✔Centers that proved advanced trauma life support (ATLS) prior
to transport to a higher level trauma center.
Which imaging modality is the primary means of evaluating skeletal
trauma? - CORRECT ANSWERS ✔✔Plain film or conventional
radiography
Which imaging modality is preferred when a patient has had blunt
trauma to the abdomen? - CORRECT ANSWERS ✔✔Computed
Tomography (CT)
Briefly describe he Glasgow Coma Scale (GSC). - CORRECT
ANSWERS ✔✔Scoring system used to describe level of
consciousness in a person s/p traumatic brain injury; "3" is the
worst possible rating and "15" is the best possible rating.
TRUE or FALSE: In patients with severe head injuries, cervical spine
injury is assumed to the present until it is ruled out with radiology
exams. - CORRECT ANSWERS ✔✔True: Head and neck should be
immobilized until cervical x-ray or CT is obtained to rule out
fractures.
Besides spinal fractures and spinal cord injuries, what is another
serious concern in patients with hyperextension or direct trauma
,injuries of the head/neck? - CORRECT ANSWERS ✔✔Injury to the
carotid arteries causing bleeding or whiplash.
What is whiplash? - CORRECT ANSWERS ✔✔Hyperextension-
flexion injury of the spine. Dull or sharp pain in the posterior neck,
that may radiated down the arms or back.
What is the most common radiographic finding on a C-spine x-ray
when a patient is positive for whiplash injury? - CORRECT
ANSWERS ✔✔Loss of lordosis (muscle spasms cause straightening
of normal curvatures of spine)
Which part of the vertebral body is most affected by a compression
fracture? - CORRECT ANSWERS ✔✔Damage is limited the upper
portion of the vertebral body particularly the anterior margin.
Compression fractures are most common at which two vertebral
levels? - CORRECT ANSWERS ✔✔Thoracic (T-11/T12) and
thoracolumbar junction (T12/L1)
Which cervical vertebra is associated with a hangman's fracture? -
CORRECT ANSWERS ✔✔Cervical (C2)
, Describe a "Hangman's" fracture. - CORRECT ANSWERS ✔✔A
fracture of the arch of the second cervical vertebra odontoid
process; accompanied by anterior subluxation of the C2 on C3.
What is the usual mechanism of injury that causes a "hangman"
fracture? - CORRECT ANSWERS ✔✔Acute hyperextension of the
head.
What is another term for "hangman's" fracture? - CORRECT
ANSWERS ✔✔Traumatic Spondylosis
A "burst fracture" of C1 is also called a ____________ fracture. -
CORRECT ANSWERS ✔✔Jefferson
Describe the findings of a "burst fracture" on the odontoid view x-
ray. - CORRECT ANSWERS ✔✔Lateral masses of C1 are displaced
laterally. The vertebral arch literally bursts.
Describe the difference between a stable and unstable spinal
fracture. - CORRECT ANSWERS ✔✔With a stable fracture the
anterior or posterior column of the spine is fractured or dislocated.
With unstable spinal fracture both the anterior and posterior spinal
column is injured.
Final exam with answers
What are the different levels of trauma hospitals? - CORRECT
ANSWERS ✔✔Level I, Level II, Level III, Level IV
Describe Level I Trauma centers. - CORRECT ANSWERS ✔✔Total
care for all injuries, 24-hr surgery team, cardiac, hand, pediatric and
microvascular surgeries. Provides prevention, education and
research. Treat 1200+ admissions and/or 240 major trauma
patients per year
Describe Level II Trauma centers. - CORRECT ANSWERS ✔✔Most
common trauma centers, 24-hr general surgery team, available
coverage of ortho, neuro, and anesthesiology. Generally a community
hospital.
Describe Level III Trauma centers. - CORRECT ANSWERS
✔✔Centers located in rural areas that provide prompt assessment,
resuscitation, stabilizations, and provide transport to higher level
trauma centers.
,Describe Level IV Trauma centers. - CORRECT ANSWERS
✔✔Centers that proved advanced trauma life support (ATLS) prior
to transport to a higher level trauma center.
Which imaging modality is the primary means of evaluating skeletal
trauma? - CORRECT ANSWERS ✔✔Plain film or conventional
radiography
Which imaging modality is preferred when a patient has had blunt
trauma to the abdomen? - CORRECT ANSWERS ✔✔Computed
Tomography (CT)
Briefly describe he Glasgow Coma Scale (GSC). - CORRECT
ANSWERS ✔✔Scoring system used to describe level of
consciousness in a person s/p traumatic brain injury; "3" is the
worst possible rating and "15" is the best possible rating.
TRUE or FALSE: In patients with severe head injuries, cervical spine
injury is assumed to the present until it is ruled out with radiology
exams. - CORRECT ANSWERS ✔✔True: Head and neck should be
immobilized until cervical x-ray or CT is obtained to rule out
fractures.
Besides spinal fractures and spinal cord injuries, what is another
serious concern in patients with hyperextension or direct trauma
,injuries of the head/neck? - CORRECT ANSWERS ✔✔Injury to the
carotid arteries causing bleeding or whiplash.
What is whiplash? - CORRECT ANSWERS ✔✔Hyperextension-
flexion injury of the spine. Dull or sharp pain in the posterior neck,
that may radiated down the arms or back.
What is the most common radiographic finding on a C-spine x-ray
when a patient is positive for whiplash injury? - CORRECT
ANSWERS ✔✔Loss of lordosis (muscle spasms cause straightening
of normal curvatures of spine)
Which part of the vertebral body is most affected by a compression
fracture? - CORRECT ANSWERS ✔✔Damage is limited the upper
portion of the vertebral body particularly the anterior margin.
Compression fractures are most common at which two vertebral
levels? - CORRECT ANSWERS ✔✔Thoracic (T-11/T12) and
thoracolumbar junction (T12/L1)
Which cervical vertebra is associated with a hangman's fracture? -
CORRECT ANSWERS ✔✔Cervical (C2)
, Describe a "Hangman's" fracture. - CORRECT ANSWERS ✔✔A
fracture of the arch of the second cervical vertebra odontoid
process; accompanied by anterior subluxation of the C2 on C3.
What is the usual mechanism of injury that causes a "hangman"
fracture? - CORRECT ANSWERS ✔✔Acute hyperextension of the
head.
What is another term for "hangman's" fracture? - CORRECT
ANSWERS ✔✔Traumatic Spondylosis
A "burst fracture" of C1 is also called a ____________ fracture. -
CORRECT ANSWERS ✔✔Jefferson
Describe the findings of a "burst fracture" on the odontoid view x-
ray. - CORRECT ANSWERS ✔✔Lateral masses of C1 are displaced
laterally. The vertebral arch literally bursts.
Describe the difference between a stable and unstable spinal
fracture. - CORRECT ANSWERS ✔✔With a stable fracture the
anterior or posterior column of the spine is fractured or dislocated.
With unstable spinal fracture both the anterior and posterior spinal
column is injured.