Crescent sign is a radiographic feature of which condition?

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Multiple Choice

Crescent sign is a radiographic feature of which condition?

The crescent sign is a subchondral fracture pattern under the articular surface that appears as a crescent-shaped lucency, indicating avascular necrosis. When blood supply to a bone—most often the femoral head—is disrupted, the bone tissue dies and the inner bone becomes weak. Under load, the necrotic subchondral bone cracks, creating that thin, crescent-shaped line just beneath the cartilage. This radiographic feature points to avascular necrosis and helps explain why the joint surface may eventually collapse if the condition progresses. It differs from osteoarthritis, which shows joint space narrowing and osteophytes; from gout, which produces characteristic bony erosions with overhanging edges; and from osteomyelitis, which may show sequestra, involucrum, or periosteal reaction.

The crescent sign is a subchondral fracture pattern under the articular surface that appears as a crescent-shaped lucency, indicating avascular necrosis. When blood supply to a bone—most often the femoral head—is disrupted, the bone tissue dies and the inner bone becomes weak. Under load, the necrotic subchondral bone cracks, creating that thin, crescent-shaped line just beneath the cartilage. This radiographic feature points to avascular necrosis and helps explain why the joint surface may eventually collapse if the condition progresses. It differs from osteoarthritis, which shows joint space narrowing and osteophytes; from gout, which produces characteristic bony erosions with overhanging edges; and from osteomyelitis, which may show sequestra, involucrum, or periosteal reaction.

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