Question of the Day

You are looking at an iliac fracture in the UPPER LEFT quadrant. Click here to see the left ilial fracture indicated with an arrow.

Generally, when you assess pelvic rads after trauma, you are looking for pelvic fractures, femoral fractures, (especially head-and-neck fractures) or hip dislocation/luxation (usually cranio-dorsal). Click here to see a radiograph of hip dislocation in a dog.

Sometimes, the priorities of triage require you to accept less-than-optimal radiograph positioning in the service of rapid assessment.

The visible space evident at the sacroiliac junction on the upper right is not a subluxation, it is simply poor positioning: a common hazard when taking radiographs on an awake dog.

Ref: The American College of Veterinary Surgeons, Small Animal Surgery Topics. Image courtesy of Dr. Scot Nachbar.