[Translated article] Diagnostic accuracy of ultrasound in the detection of distal radius fractures in a pediatric population

Introduction Forearm fractures are extremely frequent in the pediatric population, representing up to 50% of all fractures observed in children. Until now, radiography has been considered the gold standard.Material and methods Prospective observational study in pediatric patients with suspected distal radius fracture. An ultrasound study of the distal third of the forearm was performed in every patient recruited according to a standardised method. Subsequently, this result was comparatively evaluated with a radiological study in two planes.Results A total of 115 patients were recruited with a mean age of 9.59 years. A sensitivity of ultrasound for fracture detection of 95% and a diagnostic specificity of 98.18% were obtained. The positive predictive value was 98.28% and a positive likelihood ratio of 52.25 [7.49; 364.66] was obtained.Conclusion Ultrasound has proven to be an alternative to radiography in the diagnosis of non-angulated fractures, thanks to its diagnostic immediacy, absence of irradiation and high accuracy. A procedure that achieves high specificity and sensitivity even in inexperienced hands.