Abstract
Background Clinical examination after trauma, especially in young children, often proves difficult.
As a result, the majority of images show unremarkable findings in the imaging workup
of trauma by radiography. Sonography represents an imaging technique without the use
of X-rays. As the quality of ultrasound equipment has increased over the past 20 years,
numerous studies have demonstrated that fractures in children and adolescents can
be detected with very high sensitivity and specificity by sonography.
Method This paper reviews the results obtained so far in the literature. Based on these
findings, the importance of sonographic fracture diagnosis in childhood and adolescence
for the most important locations is demonstrated.
Results When examining with a high-frequency linear transducer, sensitivities and specificities
of more than 90 % can be achieved for the detection of fractures. Dislocations are
also reliably detected. In contrast to X-ray examination, sonography allows the diagnosis
of cartilage and soft-tissue injuries. Sonography reveals callus formation earlier
than radiographs. The examination causes less pain than X-ray examination. If sonographic
clarification is limited purely to fracture detection or exclusion, less time is required
compared to X-ray diagnosis. The procedure can be learned quickly. If the documentation
follows a defined standard examination procedure, the results can also be reproduced
by non-examiners.
Conclusion So far, sonography has only been an additive procedure in fracture diagnosis. However,
there are now initial recommendations for sonographic fracture diagnosis alone, such
as in skull, clavicle and non-displaced distal forearm fractures.
Key Points:
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Sonography can be used to detect or rule out fractures very sensitively.
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Sonographic examination causes less pain than X-ray examination.
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Sonography is usually an additive procedure in fracture diagnosis.
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In the meantime, sonography alone may be sufficient for diagnosing individual fractures.
Zitierweise
Key words
ultrasound - bones - children, injuries - infants, injuries - trauma
