FCPS Part 1 Radiology: Musculoskeletal & Cardiovascular MCQs — High-Yield Concepts

Musculoskeletal and Cardiovascular Radiology together make up 416 questions in HighYield's FCPS Part 1 Radiology bank (206 and 210 questions respectively) — two of the largest subspecialty blocks in the pool, and neither has had a dedicated practice post until now. Below is a sample set of Musculoskeletal and Cardiovascular Radiology MCQs in the same one-line format the real exam uses.

Musculoskeletal Radiology

1. A triangular area of new subperiosteal bone at the margin of an aggressive lesion, formed where lifted periosteum re-ossifies, is known as a:

A) Codman triangle ✅
B) Volkmann triangle
C) Looser zone
D) Charcot joint

2. An "onion-skin" (multilayered) periosteal reaction on a long-bone radiograph in a child is classically associated with:

A) Osteosarcoma
B) Ewing sarcoma ✅
C) Osteoid osteoma
D) Osteochondroma

3. A small (<1.5 cm) lucent nidus surrounded by dense reactive sclerosis, in a patient with nocturnal pain relieved dramatically by NSAIDs, is most consistent with:

A) Osteoid osteoma ✅
B) Osteoblastoma
C) Chondrosarcoma
D) Bone island

4. Fusion of the vertebral bodies with calcification of the spinal ligaments giving a "bamboo spine" appearance on X-ray is characteristic of:

A) Rheumatoid arthritis
B) Ankylosing spondylitis ✅
C) Osteoarthritis
D) Diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis

5. In the Salter-Harris classification of paediatric growth plate fractures, a fracture line that passes through the physis and exits through the metaphysis is a:

A) Type I
B) Type II ✅
C) Type III
D) Type IV

Cardiovascular Radiology

6. A "boot-shaped" cardiac silhouette (coeur en sabot) on a chest radiograph, due to right ventricular hypertrophy and a concave main pulmonary artery segment, is classic for:

A) Transposition of the great arteries
B) Tetralogy of Fallot ✅
C) Truncus arteriosus
D) Tricuspid atresia

7. An "egg-on-a-string" cardiac silhouette on a neonatal chest X-ray, with a narrow superior mediastinum, is classically described in:

A) Transposition of the great arteries ✅
B) Tetralogy of Fallot
C) Coarctation of the aorta
D) Ebstein anomaly

8. The "snowman" or figure-of-8 configuration of the cardiac silhouette on chest X-ray is characteristic of:

A) Total anomalous pulmonary venous connection (supracardiac type) ✅
B) Truncus arteriosus
C) Tricuspid atresia
D) Pulmonary atresia

9. Notching of the inferior margins of the posterior ribs on a chest radiograph, from dilated collateral intercostal arteries, is a recognised sign of:

A) Coarctation of the aorta ✅
B) Patent ductus arteriosus
C) Atrial septal defect
D) Pulmonary stenosis

10. A globular, symmetrically enlarged cardiac silhouette described as a "water bottle" heart on chest X-ray most strongly suggests:

A) Dilated cardiomyopathy
B) A large pericardial effusion ✅
C) Left ventricular aneurysm
D) Constrictive pericarditis

Why These Deserve Dedicated Revision

Musculoskeletal and Cardiovascular Radiology together account for a large share of the FCPS Part 1 Radiology paper, and — like Neuroradiology and Chest before them — most of the testing comes down to a finite list of named signs: Codman triangle, onion-skin reaction, boot-shaped heart, the snowman sign. Recognising these on sight, before the exam mixes them into a longer image-based question, is one of the highest-yield uses of limited prep time.

HighYield's FCPS Part 1 Radiology QBank covers Musculoskeletal and Cardiovascular Radiology alongside every other radiology subspecialty and the basic-sciences core, with every question explained. For the full picture of training and scope, see our FCPS Radiology Syllabus & Scope guide. Try the first 20 questions free, no sign-in required.