The use of ultrasonography in the closed reduction of distal radius fractures - a method known but not common in everyday practice in the Emergency Department in Poland
Title:
The use of ultrasonography in the closed reduction of distal radius fractures - a method known but not common in everyday practice in the Emergency Department in Poland.
Bacground:
The most common fractures in the upper limb as well as in traumatology are the distal radius fractures. They are observed in every age group, however, the highest number of such fractures concerns people over 60 years of age. Women, due to osteoporosis, suffer such fractures more often than men.
This paper presents the possibilities of using ultrasonography to assess the local condition of the broken limb as well as imagining the course of the closed reduction in real time.
Methods:
The basic diagnosis is based on X-ray examination. In some cases the diagnosis is deepened in computed tomography.
The most common method of treatment is conservative treatment in cast immobilization after previous closed fracture reposition.
We present our experience in this field in order to encourage the widespread use of ultrasonography.
Although this method is known, it is not very common in Emergency Departments in Poland.
Results:
The ultrasound examination is safe, cheap, easy and allows to obtain a real-time information regarding the positioning of bone fragments in relation to each other in many planes. In consequence it creates the impression of a quasi-three-dimensional image. The image obtained thanks to this method offers a possibility of precise fracture correction before the cast immobilization. The effectiveness of this method can be observed during the control X-ray examinations.
Discussion and Conclusion:
The clinical cases presented in this paper confirm the usefulness of this imaging method and encourage further research in this direction.
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