Radiological Fat Pads: Elbow Fat pads raise due to increased joint fluid pressure. In trauma – haemarthrosis – hidden radial head or humeral supracondylar fracture No trauma - Inflammatory effusion Anterior fat pad Usually visible Raised away from bone in abnormal film (sail sign) Posterior fat pad Always abnormal Normal Abnormal wikipedia
Radiological Fat Pads: Calcaneal (Kagner’s) Fat Pad) Causes: trauma, oedema and haemorrhage. Suspect: Fracture, soft tissue injury, inflammatory condition, infection, neoplasm Clearly delineated: normal http://www.wikiradiography.net/page/Soft+Tissue+Signs-+The+Ankle Distortion or obliteration of borders: pathological
Radiological Fat Pads: Knee Normal horizontal beam Lipid layer Radiology materclass Blood layer Fracture with lipohaemarthrosis: Blood and fat leak from bone marrow into joint space. Alternatively: obliteration of the hypodense fat pads indicates effusion. Tibial Plateau fracture
Radiological Fat Pads: Distal Forearm (Pronator Quadratus Sign) Fat pad overlying pronator quadratus. Seen ~90% of the time. Bowing, obliteration or displacement can occur in pathology. radiopaedia Wide ranges of sensitivities and specificities have been recorded for this sign. It is one of the less reliable fat pad signs.