Stargazing...

As a change from the usual teaching, I thought I'd raise the subject of astronomy.  Bear with me, all will become clear.

Which one allows you to navigate north?  Why do you need to know for safe medical practice in the ED?  Read on...

Because the star (or red dot) is the radiology departments first line of defence against missed fractures.  LOOK FOR THE STAR! If you see one but don't see an abnormality, you MUST find out what it is the radiographer thinks they've seen.  These are just a selection of examples from the last week....

A nice buckle fracture involving the dorsal aspect of the  distal radius, diagnosed as a sprain.

A step at the radial neck - admittedly with a VERY SMALL star, and no anterior fat pad, but still broke,  also missed.

For those interested, here's a bit about Polaris.