What diagnostic step should be anticipated for an injured extremity in acute soft tissue injury?

• A. X-ray of the injured extremity
• B. MRI of the entire body
• C. CT scan of the head
• D. Ultrasound of the abdomen

Answer: (A)

In acute extremity injuries with suspected soft tissue damage, the first diagnostic step is a plain X-ray of the injured limb. This quick imaging helps detect fractures or dislocations that would change how you immobilize, reduce, or surgically manage the injury. It’s fast, widely available, and cost-effective, and it screens for bone injury that often accompanies soft tissue damage. If the X-ray doesn’t show a fracture but symptoms remain significant, further imaging such as MRI can be used later to assess ligaments, tendons, or occult injuries. The other options aren’t appropriate as the initial test for an extremity injury: MRI of the whole body isn’t practical in the acute setting and doesn’t prioritize bone injuries; CT of the head or ultrasound of the abdomen aren’t relevant to an injured limb.