Disruption of the sharp cortical margin of bone, indicating cortical erosion or destruction
Expansion
Loss of Cortical Outline
Purpose
Sign of cortical bone disease (infection, malignancy, inflammatory arthropathy)
Clinical Context
On X-ray, loss of the normally sharp cortical margin indicates pathology. Compare cortical margins across bones and joints; early rheumatoid arthritis shows juxtaarticular LOC.
Related Terms
- Cortical erosion:
- Cortical destruction:
- Bone lysis:
Key Points
- LOC is a feature of aggressive lesions; see it with infection (osteomyelitis), malignancy, or inflammatory arthropathy (RA)