Microembolic signals detected on transcranial Doppler ultrasound were associated with neurological symptoms after fracture of the femoral shaft, but the clinical implications of this pilot study are unclear.
Transcranial Doppler (TCD) ultrasound, the only imaging technique that can detect circulating cerebral emboli, has been widely applied to patients with large-artery atherosclerotic stenosis. The presence of microembolic signals can predict stroke risk in patients with either symptomatic or asymptomatic carotid stenosis. Emboli are detected as short-duration, high-intensity signals because they reflect more ultrasound than the surrounding red blood cells.
Researchers have now applied TCD ultrasound imaging to 42 patients admitted to a trauma center within 48 hours after sustaining a fracture of the femoral shaft. The goal was to determine, prospectively, whether emboli (presumed to have resulted from fat) play a role in the neurological featu…