Nonaccidental Injury in the Elderly: What Radiologists Need to Know.

Elder abuse may result in serious physical injuries and long-term psychological consequences and can be life threatening. Over the past decade, attention to elder abuse has increased owing to its high prevalence, with one in six people aged 60 years and older experiencing some form of abuse worldwide. Despite this, the detection and reporting rates remain relatively low. While diagnostic imaging is considered critical in detection of child abuse, it is relatively underused in elder abuse. The authors discuss barriers to use of imaging for investigation and diagnosis of elder abuse, including lack of training, comorbidities present in this vulnerable population, and lack of communication among the intra- and interdisciplinary care providers. Moreover, imaging features that should raise clinical concern for elder abuse are reviewed, including certain types of fractures (eg, posterior rib), characteristic soft-tissue and organ injuries (eg, shoulder dislocation), and cases in which the reported mechanism of injury is inconsistent with the imaging findings. As most findings suggesting elder abuse are initially discovered at radiography and CT, the authors focus mainly on use of those modalities. This review also compares and contrasts elder abuse with child abuse. Empowered with knowledge of elderly victims' risk factors, classic perpetrator characteristics, and correlative imaging findings, radiologists should be able to identify potential abuse in elderly patients presenting for medical attention. Future recommendations for research studies and clinical workflow to increase radiologists' awareness of and participation in elder abuse detection are also presented. An invited commentary by Jubanyik and Gettel is available online. Online supplemental material is available for this article. ©RSNA, 2022.

A quantitative alternative to the Goutallier classification system using Lava Flex and Ideal MRI techniques: volumetric intramuscular fatty infiltration of the supraspinatus muscle, a cadaveric study.

OBJECTIVE: The Goutallier classification system is the most commonly used method for grading intramuscular fatty infiltration in rotator cuff tears. This grading system presents low inter-observer reliability and an inability to provide quantitative and repeatable outcomes for intramuscular fat. We determined the correlation and reliability of two methods, the Lava Flex and Ideal IQ MRI techniques, in quantifying volumetric intramuscular fat, while also comparing to the Goutallier method. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The supraspinatus muscles of seventeen cadaveric shoulders were scanned using the Lava Flex and Ideal IQ MRI imaging protocols. Histological analysis was performed on the same muscles. Agreement, reliability, and correlation analyses were performed to compare all outcomes. RESULTS: The Lava Flex protocol took an average of ~ 4 min, while the Ideal IQ required about ~ 11 min to complete. Bland-Altman analysis showed good agreement between the Lava Flex and Ideal IQ [LOA (- 0.10 and 0.05)], and ICC analyses showed excellent reliability (ICC (1,1) 0.948; ICC (2,1) 0.947). There was a 91% correlation between the Lava Flex and Ideal IQ MR protocols. Weighted Kappa analysis between histology and the Goutallier classification showed fair-to-moderate agreement. DISCUSSION: The Lava Flex technique, taking about 30% of the acquisition time, may prevent motion artifacts in outcomes associated with the longer Ideal IQ technique. However, potential magnetic field inhomogeneities should be considered. The Lava Flex technique may be a faster and valid alternative to the Goutallier classification system.

Multiple Skeletal Deformities in a Middle-Aged Man.

A 54-year-old man was seen in our endocrinology clinic with evidence of a limited range of motion in his left foot. He had a history of diabetes mellitus type 2 and atrial fibrillation. His family history included evidence of skeletal deformities in some of his relatives. This could imply the potential existence of a hereditary condition. It is worth noting that spontaneous mutations have been reported in some cases. A pertinent physical examination revealed a surgical scar on the patient's left knee, a hallux valgus deformity on his left foot with compromised joint function, and painless bony prominences on that same foot. The skeletal survey findings were consistent with multiple hereditary exostoses. Multiple osteochondromatosis (MO) is a rare genetic disorder associated with serious complications that may significantly affect the health related quality of life of anyone having the disorder. To prevent further complications, these patients require long-term follow-up with regular clinical and radiological examinations.