At a glance
ClinicalIndex Comparison RecordStandardized by ClinicalIndex from the ClinicalTrials.gov record · verify against the source.
The Diagnostic Accuracy of Sonography in Indirect Elbow Trauma Compared With Plain X-ray: a Prospective Single Centre Comparative Diagnostic Accuracy Study
In Brief
A clinical study evaluating POCUS for Elbow Fracture and 4 related conditions. Completed, enrolled 90 participants across 1 site.
Detailed Summary
X-rays (XR) are today the standard modality for the diagnosis of bone fractures in the lower or upper limbs in the emergency room. Point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) is an alternative with some obvious advantages especially in the emergency room setting: It does not require the patient to fix the bone of interest in a stable position, allows observing the bone and joints under movement by the patient, can be performed at bedside, and avoids the exposure to radiation. The advances in ultrasound technology has increased the interest in using POCUS as an alternative to XR in recent years. POCUS is used routinely prior to XR at the ORTHO-NOTFALL of the Merian Iselin Klinik Basel (MIK) in patients with suspicion for an indirect elbow trauma. It is the aim of this project to use this constellation in order to contribute to a systematic comparison of the value of the two modalities with the long-term aim to establish POCUS as the first-line diagnostic tool. As a fist project, the SONOELB study was initiated. This study aims at a comparison of the diagnostic accuracy between XR and POCUS using CT as reference. The project started in October 2022 and aims at enrolling 130 patients until March 2025. The project is financially supported by the Merian Iselin Science Research PLC.
Study Details
Timeline
Interventions
POCUS: The ultrasound examination of the injured elbow includes seven standard settings. The probe is placed on the joint in four ventral and in three posterior positions. If hemarthrosis is detected, this is always suspicious of a possible intra-articular fracture. Even the smallest amounts of blood can be detected sonographically. The surfaces of the bones involved in the joint (humerus, ulna, radius) are accurately displayed in all seven sonography settings. Disrupted bone surface indicates a fracture. XR: The conventional radiograph of the injured elbow consists of three standard views: ap, lateral and Norman oblique. CBCT: The injured elbow is placed in an almost most extended position in the CBCT tube.