What are some skeletal landmarks of clinical interest. Why are they so important?

Answer 1

Skeletal landmarks of clinical interest are of clinical interest for different reasons to different specialists. I shall endeavour to give a brief list (VERY INCOMPLETE) with a slight lean towards emergency medicine/trauma.

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Vertex of skull [physicians/paediatricians/neonatology] - measurement of height

Fontanelles - anterior, posterior [paediatricians/neonatology] - indicators of intracranial pressure

Orbital margins - [anaesthesia/emergency/plastic surgery] - possible sites of entrapment of extraocular muscles in fractures, sites of supraorbital and infraorbital nerves for injury and for anaesthesia

Nasal septum - [emergency/trauma] - Possible site for paraseptal haematoma - site for foreign body

External ear(s) and auditory canal - [emergency/trauma] - Possible site for perichondral haematoma - site for foreign body - landmark for identification of temporomandibular joints - exit of facial nerve (cranial nerve VII)

Mandible [emergency/maxillofacial/plastics/trauma] - site of trauma - location of facial nerve and artery - location of submandibular lymph nodes

Thyroid cartilage of the neck [emergency/trauma] - for location of cricothyroid membrane for emergency cricothyroidotomy to gain airway access

C6 lateral process (in the neck) [general] - location of the carotid impulse

C7 vertebral spinous process (in neck) - identifies lowest cervical vertebra and junction with thoracic spine

Sternal notch [general] - sternoclavicular joints on either side, trachea palpable just above and can indicate tracheal deviation, sternal notch is the landmark from which jugular venous pressure is measured in the jugular veins of the neck - marks the upper border of the sternum

Clavicles - [general] - forming the lower border of the anterior triangle of the neck, protecting the subclavian nerve and vessels beneath it and the underlying upper lobe of lung, has many uses as a landmark:
site for subclavian vein puncture
landmark for brachial plexus regional anaesthesia
mid clavicular line is landmark for apex of heart (5th left intercostal space), site for anterior needle decompression of tension pneumothorax (or small catheter aspiration of pneumothorax)

getting the picture now? This list is incomplete even just for head and neck ... then there are torso, and upper and lower limbs to consider.

Answer 2

Lestermount