MRI Useful for Detecting Nondisplaced Fractures

This was patient who complaining of upper arm pain status post fall. While being treated in the ER she received an x-ray of her humerus which was read normal. After the pain persists she was sent to me to have a MRI on her shoulder where we easily could see a non displaced fracture of her greater tuberosity. In MRI it is easy to pick up on fractures which are not easily defined with other modalities. We use fat suppression techniques which highlight bone edema. Notice on this T2 coronal image with fat suppression how the pathology lights up like a light bulb.