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A member asked:
Can you tell the difference between a sprain and a break in the wrist an xray?
A doctor has provided 1 answer
Yes you can: In x-rays, a break will generally show as an interruption in the cortex of the bone, with displacement or not. A sprain generally indicates an injury to soft tissues such as ligaments, fascia or tendon, which does not show up on x-ray. Occasionally, a severe sprain may be associated with an avulsion fracture where a ligament actually pulls at its attachment to bone and "avulses".
Answered 9/14/2015
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