Rad Report- Layman's terms

[Corsci]

Wondering if someone could translate this Rad Report in Layman's terms. It is from a severely shattered foot one year ago due to motocross accident. I dunno if it is against the code of conduct to interpret a report like this on the internet but here it is:

 

---------

 

Foot, Left

 

Two screws present transfixing the navicular bone. Suspected sagittal oriented fracture plane through the navicular bone, with sclerosis throughout the bone. No priors are available for comparative purposes. One of the screws which probably extends through the intermediate cuneiform is fractured.

 

Marked remodeling and degenerative changes involving the midfoot with proliferative osteophytosis, sclerosis, and joint space narrowing. Associated soft tissue swelling and mineralization in the adjacent soft tissues.

 

The appearance is suggestive of navicular non-union, with possible avascular necrosis, and secondary degenerative changes within the midfoot.

 

No other findings. Depending on concern clinically, this patient may benefit from dedicated CT or MRI.

 

--------

 

I get the jist of it but maybe not the minor details. Feedback WILL NOT be used as medical advice.

[Satsuma]

Nobody here is going to interpret this for you.

I suggest that you take this report to your family doc and ask him/her to do the interpretation/explaining in the proper context.

[ubcredfox]

Foot, Left

 

Two screws present transfixing the navicular bone. Suspected sagittal oriented fracture plane through the navicular bone, with sclerosis throughout the bone. No priors are available for comparative purposes. One of the screws which probably extends through the intermediate cuneiform is fractured. [Two screws in your foot; they are stabilizing the navicular bone. Healing change i.e. sclerosis, occurring around the screws. One of the screws is broken.]

 

Marked remodeling and degenerative changes involving the midfoot with proliferative osteophytosis, sclerosis, and joint space narrowing. Associated soft tissue swelling and mineralization in the adjacent soft tissues. [Midfoot has radiological changes consistent with an injury of this kind..ie. various forms of damage and remodeling change].

 

The appearance is suggestive of navicular non-union, with possible avascular necrosis, and secondary degenerative changes within the midfoot. [the point: navicular bone not healed. Possible avascular necrosis. Changes in midfoot secondary to fracture/trauma etc.]

 

No other findings. Depending on concern clinically, this patient may benefit from dedicated CT or MRI. [if the foot is still clinically bothersome, then a CT or MRI would be better at looking at what exactly is going on with those bones]

 

That's what I take this report to read. Basically it recommends additional imaging to truly sort out, what seems like, a complex fracture with secondary bony changes in the foot. Your family doc, like Satsuma recommended, can readily explain this for you, and as a bonus, provide additional guidance.

[Corsci]

My fam doc did go through it with me acutally.

 

Can i ask this, does navicular non-union suggest that it is still fractured? and on an xray how can they tell the vasculature might be compromised? Does necrotic bone tissue show up a different shade?

[A-Stark]

I'd think that "non-union" is fairly self-explanatory. Otherwise these are questions for radiologists and other physicians. I'm not sure this thread is appropriate here.

[ubcredfox]

If your family doc went through this with you already, then this is no longer an educational exercise, and I don't think you'll get much help here. A-stark said it best though, pretty self-explanatory.

 

Other then that, a simple janitor like myself can't really add much more to this conversation. Sorry if I led you to believe that I was a board certified radiologist. All I do is sweep floors...