Corner fracture of metaphysis

What it means

Fracture or fragmentation at the lateral portion of the metaphysis of a long bone. The radiographic appearance is that of a small corner of metaphysis separated from the metaphyseal edge by thin linear radiolucency. This feature can be observed in child abuse but fragmented appearance of the metaphysis or facture-like lesions can also be detected in the setting of certain skeletal dysplasias.

A corner fracture is a subepiphyseal planer fracture through immature metaphyseal bone. The appearance of a corner, avulsion or bucket handle depends on the extent of bone failure and radiographic projection. Bone can fail in this pattern from both shearing and tensile stresses. The weakest area of bone for a given loading condition determines the injury threshold for that structure.

Rare diseases that can present with this1

The range is how often this sign appears among people diagnosed with each disease — it is not a probability of having any of them. Many of these signs also occur in common, non-rare conditions. A sign on this page is a conversation to have with a clinician, not a conclusion.

Part of the broader category

Also called: Bucket handle fracture · Metaphyseal corner fracture