A small study suggests that ultrasound may be more sensitive than plain films.
The accuracy of plain films for diagnosis of non-displaced elbow fractures has been studied very little. Now, Turkish investigators have compared the accuracy of point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS), plain films, and computed tomography (CT) for detection of elbow fractures in 49 patients aged 5 to 65 years.
Fracture was detected by POCUS in 34 patients, by CT in 33, and by radiography in 25. Relative to CT, POCUS had sensitivity of 97%, specificity of 88%, positive predictive value (PPV) of 94%, and negative predictive value (NPV) of 93%. For the detection of extension into the joint or involvement of the epiphyseal line, POCUS had a sensitivity, specificity, PPV, and NPV of 100%, 97%, 92%, and 100%, respectively. POCUS and CT detected 8 fractu…
Reviewing Author
DisclosuresConsultant/Advisory BoardPortola Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
Speaker’s BureauPeerView Institute for Medical Education
Grant/Research SupportAgency for Healthcare Research and Quality; CDC; NIH–National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences; NIH–National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID); NIH–NIAID–Antibacterial Resistance Leadership Group; Merck; Pfizer; Boehringer-Ingelheim; Shire; Portola Pharmaceuticals, Inc.; Novartis; bioMérieux; Siemens; Rapid Pathogen Screening; Magnolia; Stago; Innovative Biosensors; Molecular Detection, Inc.; Dyax Corp.; Trius Pharmaceuticals
DisclosuresConsultant/Advisory BoardPortola Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
Speaker’s BureauPeerView Institute for Medical Education
Grant/Research SupportAgency for Healthcare Research and Quality; CDC; NIH–National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences; NIH–National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID); NIH–NIAID–Antibacterial Resistance Leadership Group; Merck; Pfizer; Boehringer-Ingelheim; Shire; Portola Pharmaceuticals, Inc.; Novartis; bioMérieux; Siemens; Rapid Pathogen Screening; Magnolia; Stago; Innovative Biosensors; Molecular Detection, Inc.; Dyax Corp.; Trius Pharmaceuticals