Transgender women experienced significantly higher injury rates compared to cisgender women, according to a study presented at the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA) annual meeting.

The case-control study examined radiological records of 263 transgender female patients and 525 matched cisgender female controls at Massachusetts General Brigham affiliated hospitals. The data showed 25.4% of transgender women sustained 141 injuries, while 14.7% of cisgender women experienced 98 injuries.

The analysis revealed stark statistical differences in injury patterns with facial, cranial, and thoracic injuries occurring at significantly higher rates among the transgender cohort. Among the facial injuries, 78.9% of facial fractures involved the midface region.

Emergency department imaging was significantly more common among transgender women. Lead researcher Rohan Chopra reported transgender women were also nearly twice as likely to undergo imaging during overnight and weekend hours.

Among the 67 transgender women with radiologically confirmed injuries, 41.8% reported being involved in interpersonal violence, and 28.4% confirmed intimate partner violence (IPV). Notably, only 14.9% of transgender women with injuries denied experiencing violence, compared to 39% of controls. However, 37.3% of transgender patients with injuries had no documented IPV screening.

Two radiologists, blinded to patient status, reviewed imaging reports for IPV likelihood. They correctly identified approximately one-third of confirmed IPV cases. When radiologists suspected IPV, 75% of cases confirmed violence, with 50% specifically reporting IPV.

The research team, led by Bharti Khurana, MD, emphasized that these findings highlight both elevated violence risk and gaps in preventive care. The study employed a case-control design with subjects matched for age, race, and ethnicity, using the Research Patient Data Registry to identify patients aged 18 and older who had undergone at least one imaging exam.