The John Thomas sign, also known as the Throckmorton sign,[1] is a joke in the medical community which involves the position of a penis as it relates to pathology on an x-ray of a pelvis.[2]
When the penis (visible on the x-ray as a shadow) points towards the same side as a unilateral medical condition (such as a broken bone), this is considered a "positive John Thomas sign", and if the shadow points to the other side, it is a negative John Thomas sign.
The sign is employed as a humorous aside.[1] However, some analysis of its validity has been performed.[3][2] Genital asymmetry correlates with handedness,[4] and a relationship between handedness and injury has been proposed as a mechanism for the sign.[2]
References
- ^ a b synd/3050 at Who Named It?
- ^ a b c Thomas MC, Lyons BD, Walker RJ (1998). "John Thomas sign: common distraction or useful pointer?". Med. J. Aust. 169 (11-12): 670. PMID 9887926. http://www.mja.com.au/public/issues/xmas98/thomas/thomas.html.
- ^ Mouzopoulos GJ, Stamatakos MK, Mouzopoulos DJ (2007). "Does penis radiological shadow indicate the side of hip fracture?". J Postgrad Med 53 (3): 217. doi:. PMID 17700004. http://www.jpgmonline.com/article.asp?issn=0022-3859;year=2007;volume=53;issue=3;spage=217;epage=218;aulast=Mouzopoulos.
- ^ Bogaert AF (January 1997). "Genital asymmetry in men". Hum. Reprod. 12 (1): 68–72. doi:. PMID 9043905. http://humrep.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/pmidlookup?view=long&pmid=9043905.
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