Computed tomography is the undisputed gold standard in the imaging of acute trauma, despite the introduction of focused assessment with sonography for trauma and magnetic resonance imaging. However, the role of computed tomography is far wider than just polytrauma imaging: its high spatial resolution, short scan times and very high sensitivity and specificities make computed tomography useful in the diagnosis of subtle injuries, as well as providing a general overview of other compartmental injuries. Three-dimensional reconstructions illustrates complex injury patterns clearly, aiding surgical planning and permitting accurate orthopaedic hardware follow-up. This article outlines some of the basic properties of computed tomography using examples from musculoskeletal trauma, to illustrate to clinicians what computed tomography can and cannot do for their practice.
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