Diagnosis Of Scaphoid Fractures Research Articles

Inter-Rater and Intrarater Reliability of Radiographs in the Diagnosis of Pediatric Scaphoid Fractures.

Pediatric scaphoid fractures can be challenging to diagnose on plain radiograph. Rates of missed scaphoid fractures can be as high as 30% to 37% on initial imaging and overall sensitivity ranging from 21% to 97%. Few studies, however, have examined the reliability of radiographs in the diagnosis of scaphoid fractures, and none are specific to the pediatric population. Reliability, both between different specialists and for individual raters, may elucidate some of the diagnostic challenges. We conducted a 2-iteration survey of pediatric orthopedic surgeons, plastic surgeons, radiologists, and emergency physicians at a tertiary children's hospital. Participants were asked to assess 10 series of pediatric wrist radiographs for evidence of scaphoid fracture. Inter-rater and intrarater reliability was calculated using the intraclass correlation coefficient of 2.1. Forty-two respondents were included in the first iteration analysis. Inter-rater reliability between surgeons (0.66; 95% confidence interval, 0.43-0.87), radiologists (0.76; 0.55-0.92), and emergency physicians (0.65; 0.46-0.86) was "good" to "excellent." Twenty-six respondents participated in the second iteration for intrarater reliability (0.73; 0.67-0.78). Sensitivity (0.75; 0.69-0.81) and specificity (0.78; 0.71-0.83) of wrist radiographs for diagnosing scaphoid fractures were consistent with results in other studies. Both inter-rater and intrarater reliability for diagnosing pediatric scaphoid fractures on radiographs was good to excellent. No significant difference was found between specialists. Plain radiographs, while useful for obvious scaphoid fractures, are unable to reliably rule out subtle fractures routinely. Our study demonstrates that poor sensitivity stems from the test itself, and not rater variability.

PANORAMIC REVIEW OF ACUTE SCAPHOID FRACTURES: DESCRIPTION, EPIDEMIOLOGY, ETIOLOGY, PRESENTATION, DIAGNOSIS, TREATMENT AND PROGNOSIS

Introduction: Scaphoid fractures are the most common fractures of the carpal bone and commonly occur in young males. Inadequate treatment of these fractures commonly leads to pseudarthrosis, resulting in pain and significant disability. Tenderness to palpation and/or pain with axial loading of the thumb should be managed as if it were a scaphoid fracture until proven otherwise. Objective: to detail current information related to scaphoid fractures, description, epidemiology, etiology, presentation, diagnosis, treatment and prognosis. Methodology: a total of 37 articles were analyzed in this review, including review and original articles, as well as clinical cases, of which 20 bibliographies were used because the other articles were not relevant to this study. The sources of information were PubMed, Google Scholar and Cochrane; the terms used to search for information in Spanish, Portuguese and English were: fracture, scaphoid, carpal bones, trauma, surgery. Results: Scaphoid fractures account for 2% to 7% of all fractures and 60% to 70% of carpal bone fractures. They are infrequent in children with approximately 3% of all pediatric hand and wrist fractures. Non-displaced fractures have high healing rates with cast treatment. Radiographs may miss fractures up to 25% of the time. Physical therapy is important in both operative and nonoperative treatment. Conclusions: Knowledge of the clinical presentation, diagnosis and treatment of scaphoid fractures is of utmost importance, because sometimes this type of fracture can go undetected on radiographs, which can lead to complications such as pseudarthrosis. The diagnosis of scaphoid fractures is sometimes complicated, so when there is clinical suspicion, appropriate complementary examinations should be performed to better determine the pathological condition, as is the case of computed tomography. Conservative or surgical management will depend on the type of fracture. Smoking cessation is recommended to improve fracture healing and physiotherapy both after surgical and non-surgical treatment. KEY WORDS: fracture, scaphoid, carpal bones, trauma, surgery.

HEIGHT-TO-LENGTH RATIOS OBTAINED BY WRIST RADIOGRAPHY TO ASSESS SCAPHOID MALUNION: RADIOGRAPHIC AND CLINICAL OUTCOMES OF 32 CASES

Purpose: Scaphoid nonunion and malunion can be observed after scaphoid fracture. While the diagnosis of nonunion is well defined in the literature, there is no consensus on the diagnostic criteria and clinical outcomes of scaphoid malunion. The aim of the study is to define the direct radiography parameters of scaphoid malunion and determine the clinical outcomes. Methods: Patients applied to our clinic with the diagnosis of scaphoid fracture between January 2020 and June 2021, and were analyzed retrospectively. 32 patients treated with surgical or conservative methods were included in the study. Nonunions and cases with a follow-up period of less than 12 months were excluded. Scapholunate (SL) angles and height-to-length (H/L) ratios of scaphoid were measured on wrist radiography to assess scaphoid malunion. Malunion was defined as SL angle >60° and ROC analysis was applied to determine cutoff H/L ratio in wrist radiography. Wrist functionality and pain were evaluated with the Patient-Rated Wrist Evaluation (PRWE) and MAYO scores. The range of motion (ROM) and grip strength were also recorded. Results: Seventeen patients (53.1%) underwent surgery while conservative treatment was applied to the other 15 (46.9%). Of these, six patients (18.8%) met the definition of malunion. According to receiver operating curve (ROC) analysis, the cutoff H/L ratio in posteroanterior wrist radiographs was 0.602 ([Formula: see text] < 0.001) and the cutoff H/L ratio in lateral wrist radiographs was 0.692 ([Formula: see text] = 0.003). The ROM values for flexion/extension and radial/ulnar deviation was smaller in the malunion group ([Formula: see text] = 0.023 and [Formula: see text] = 0.014, respectively). However, no significant difference was observed in pronation/supination values ([Formula: see text] > 0.05). Mean MAYO score was 75.0 in malunion group and 90.0 in nonmalunion group ([Formula: see text] = 0.003). While the mean PRWE value was 24.50 in malunion, it was 14.15 in nonmalunion ([Formula: see text] = 0.023). Conclusion: Evaluation of H/L ratio in wrist radiography provides valuable information in the diagnosis of scaphoid malunion. Scaphoid malunions have poorer functional outcomes.

Can a Deep Learning Algorithm Improve Detection of Occult Scaphoid Fractures in Plain Radiographs? A Clinical Validation Study.

Occult scaphoid fractures on initial radiographs of an injury are a diagnostic challenge to physicians. Although artificial intelligence models based on the principles of deep convolutional neural networks (CNN) offer a potential method of detection, it is unknown how such models perform in the clinical setting. (1) Does CNN-assisted image interpretation improve interobserver agreement for scaphoid fractures? (2) What is the sensitivity and specificity of image interpretation performed with and without CNN assistance (as stratified by type: normal scaphoid, occult fracture, and apparent fracture)? (3) Does CNN assistance improve time to diagnosis and physician confidence level? This survey-based experiment presented 15 scaphoid radiographs (five normal, five apparent fractures, and five occult fractures) with and without CNN assistance to physicians in a variety of practice settings across the United States and Taiwan. Occult fractures were identified by follow-up CT scans or MRI. Participants met the following criteria: Postgraduate Year 3 or above resident physician in plastic surgery, orthopaedic surgery, or emergency medicine; hand fellows; and attending physicians. Among the 176 invited participants, 120 completed the survey and met the inclusion criteria. Of the participants, 31% (37 of 120) were fellowship-trained hand surgeons, 43% (52 of 120) were plastic surgeons, and 69% (83 of 120) were attending physicians. Most participants (73% [88 of 120]) worked in academic centers, whereas the remainder worked in large, urban private practice hospitals. Recruitment occurred between February 2022 and March 2022. Radiographs with CNN assistance were accompanied by predictions of fracture presence and gradient-weighted class activation mapping of the predicted fracture site. Sensitivity and specificity of the CNN-assisted physician diagnoses were calculated to assess diagnostic performance. We calculated interobserver agreement with the Gwet agreement coefficient (AC1). Physician diagnostic confidence was estimated using a self-assessment Likert scale, and the time to arrive at a diagnosis for each case was measured. Interobserver agreement among physicians for occult scaphoid radiographs was higher with CNN assistance than without (AC1 0.42 [95% CI 0.17 to 0.68] versus 0.06 [95% CI 0.00 to 0.17], respectively). No clinically relevant differences were observed in time to arrive at a diagnosis (18 ± 12 seconds versus 30 ± 27 seconds, mean difference 12 seconds [95% CI 6 to 17]; p < 0.001) or diagnostic confidence levels (7.2 ± 1.7 seconds versus 6.2 ± 1.6 seconds; mean difference 1 second [95% CI 0.5 to 1.3]; p < 0.001) for occult fractures. CNN assistance improves physician diagnostic sensitivity and specificity as well as interobserver agreement for the diagnosis of occult scaphoid fractures. The differences observed in diagnostic speed and confidence is likely not clinically relevant. Despite these improvements in clinical diagnoses of scaphoid fractures with the CNN, it is unknown whether development and implementation of such models is cost effective. Level II, diagnostic study.

Accuracy of the radiological protocols in detecting scaphoid fractures, a retrospective study

Early and accurate diagnosis of scaphoid fractures is vital for improving patient outcomes. However, there is no international agreement on the optimal imaging examination for diagnosing suspected scaphoid fractures. This study aimed to assess the different imaging examinations of scaphoid fractures at three major hospitals in Najran, Saudi Arabia. Radiological strategies for imaging suspected scaphoid fracture were determined using a short cross-sectional survey. The accuracy of the different imaging techniques was compared, and the number of patients with a scaphoid fracture who underwent examination at these hospitals in the past year preceding the start of this study was also investigated. The results showed that plain x-ray was the first line of imaging examination for suspected scaphoid fracture at the three hospitals. When the initial plain x-ray could not rule out scaphoid fracture, a repeated x-ray (10–14 days) was used as second-line imaging in two hospitals, while computed tomography (CT) was used as a third line of imaging. In the third hospital, CT scan was used as the second line of imaging, while magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was used as the third line of imaging. A total of 112 patients sustained scaphoid fractures in the three hospitals. Initial plain x-ray was able to diagnose 72% of all cases as the first imaging line. Repeated x-ray identified 60% of the fractures that were not detected on the initial plain radiograph, while CT scans identified 88% of the fractures that were not detected on the first plain radiograph. Repeated plain x-rays maybe not be the ideal second-line imaging for scaphoid fracture. The ability of the CT scan to detect scaphoid fracture at an early stage was evident (p = 0.001). Altogether, these results indicate the important role of CT scan in diagnosing scaphoid fracture at an early stage. More studies are warranted to improve the national guidelines for the radiological investigation of scaphoid fractures.

MRI as gold standard for scaphoid fracture diagnosis

Category: Musculoskeletal

Thousand shades of gray – The role of imaging display in diagnosis of occult scaphoid fractures – A pilot study

IntroductionMost hospitals and clinics utilize commercial grade displays for viewing wrist radiographs. There is no evidence regarding the role of the imaging display used to evaluate the radiographs. The aim of this study was to compare the rates of scaphoid fracture diagnosis by commercial grade and medical grade displays. MethodsWrist radiographs of patients that had clinical signs of scaphoid fracture without findings on plain radiography (suspected scaphoid fractures) were retrospectively collected from ER department and interpreted for radiographic signs of fracture by four orthopedics seniors commercial grade and medical grade displays. The difference in fracture diagnosis rates were studied. Inter- and intra-observer variability were also studied. ResultsStudy population comprised of 175 high quality wrist radiographs were interpreted. Mean 48.25 (27%) scaphoid fractures were observed on commercial grade display compared to 66 (38.2%) on medical grade display (p = 0.076). The total inter-observer agreement could be defined as a moderate agreement (κ = 0.527, Accuracy = 0.77). Total agreement between all observers were observed in 86 (49.1%) cases compared to 89 (50.9%) cases when reviewing X-rays on commercial and medical displays, respectively. DiscussionThe scaphoid fracture detection rate on medical grade display was not statistically higher compared to non-medical grade displays, but we did find a tendency toward medical grade display. We found that in a substantial number of cases, our observers recognize signs of fracture that were initially evaluated as "suspected fracture" by the ER physicians. As a pilot study, we found evidence that support the need for a prospective study designed to compare the observations to a gold standard modality, such as MRI. We believe utilizing medical grade displays can increase the rate of diagnosis in cases of clinically suspected scaphoid fractures and better manage the clinical scenario of a suspected scaphoid fracture.

CORR Insights®: What Is the Diagnostic Performance of Conventional Radiographs and Clinical Reassessment Compared With HR-pQCT Scaphoid Fracture Diagnosis?

1Head of Department, GFO Kliniken Rhein Berg, Vinzenz Pallotti Hospital, Bergisch Gladbach, Germany G. Schiffer, GFO Kliniken Rhein Berg, Vinzenz Pallotti Hospital, Klinik für Unfallchirurgie und Handchirurgie, Vinzenz-Pallotti-Str. 20-24, Bergisch Gladbach, 51429, Germany, Email: [email protected] This CORR Insights® is a commentary on the article “What Is the Diagnostic Performance of Conventional Radiographs and Clinical Reassessment Compared With HR-pQCT Scaphoid Fracture Diagnosis?” by Daniels and colleagues available at: DOI: 10.1097/CORR.0000000000002310. The author certifies that there are no funding or commercial associations (consultancies, stock ownership, equity interest, patent/licensing arrangements, etc.) that might pose a conflict of interest in connection with the submitted article related to the author or any immediate family members. All ICMJE Conflict of Interest Forms for authors and Clinical Orthopaedics and Related Research® editors and board members are on file with the publication and can be viewed on request. The opinions expressed are those of the writer, and do not reflect the opinion or policy of CORR® or The Association of Bone and Joint Surgeons®.

392 The Role of MRI in the Management of Scaphoid Fractures: A Closed-Loop Audit by Dorset County Hospital, UK

Abstract Prompt and accurate diagnosis of scaphoid fractures are crucial in preventing complications such as non-union, avascular necrosis &amp; early-onset arthritis. Research has shown that initial radiographs detect a fracture in 85–90% of cases, but it can be occult in up to 10–15%. In 2016 NICE recommended that MRI should be considered for first-line imaging in patients with suspected scaphoid fractures. Our aim is to determine whether the clinical practice at DCH is matched with the recommendations set by NICE, and whether the implementation of a ‘Scaphoid Management Protocol’ led to increased compliance. Retrospective analysis of all patients with suspected scaphoid fracture presenting to ED between May – September 2017, with reaudit between December 2017 - February 2018 and June – October 2020. Those patients who had gone on to have further MRI imaging were then identified, and the average time taken to MRI requests to MRI being performed was evaluated. Prior to the protocol, 16% of patients with normal X-ray but clinical signs weren't referred to further MRI imaging – this reduced to 1% in re-audit. The average recorded time to MRI from the requested date improved with each audit cycle, with 37.6, 19.9 &amp; 11.4 days, respectively. However, a new finding found that 35% of patients presenting to ED with scaphoid injury were not referred further for Orthopaedic assessment to exclude scaphoid fracture. Implementation of a ‘Scaphoid Management Protocol’ significantly improved compliance to NICE guidelines of MRI imaging resulting in earlier fracture diagnosis and improved prognosis, as well as improving time to MRI from the request date.

What Is the Diagnostic Performance of Conventional Radiographs and Clinical Reassessment Compared With HR-pQCT Scaphoid Fracture Diagnosis?

Conventional radiographs and clinical reassessment are considered guides in managing clinically suspected scaphoid fractures. This is a unique study as it assessed the value of conventional radiographs and clinical reassessment in a cohort of patients, all of whom underwent additional imaging, regardless of the outcome of conventional radiographs and clinical reassessment. (1) What is the diagnostic performance of conventional radiographs in patients with a clinically suspected scaphoid fracture compared with high-resolution peripheral quantitative CT (HR-pQCT)? (2) What is the diagnostic performance of clinical reassessment in patients with a clinically suspected scaphoid fracture compared with HR-pQCT? (3) What is the diagnostic performance of conventional radiographs and clinical reassessment combined compared with HR-pQCT? Between December 2017 and October 2018, 162 patients with a clinically suspected scaphoid fracture presented to the emergency department (ED). Forty-six patients were excluded and another 25 were not willing or able to participate, which resulted in 91 included patients. All patients underwent conventional radiography in the ED and clinical reassessment 7 to 14 days later, together with CT and HR-pQCT. The diagnostic performance characteristics and accuracy of conventional radiographs and clinical reassessment were compared with those of HR-pQCT for the diagnosis of fractures since this was proven to be superior to CT scaphoid fracture detection. The cohort included 45 men and 46 women with a median (IQR) age of 52 years (29 to 67). Twenty-four patients with a median age of 44 years (35 to 65) were diagnosed with a scaphoid fracture on HR-pQCT. When compared with HR-pQCT, conventional radiographs alone had a sensitivity of 67% (95% CI 45% to 84%), specificity of 85% (95% CI 74% to 93%), positive predictive value (PPV) of 62% (95% CI 46% to 75%), negative predictive value (NPV) of 88% (95% CI 80% to 93%), and a positive and negative likelihood ratio (LR) of 4.5 (95% CI 2.4 to 8.5) and 0.4 (95% CI 0.2 to 0.7), respectively. Compared with HR-pQCT, clinical reassessment alone resulted in a sensitivity of 58% (95% CI 37% to 78%), specificity of 42% (95% CI 30% to 54%), PPV of 26% (95% CI 19% to 35%), NPV of 74% (95% CI 62% to 83%), as well as a positive and negative LR of 1.0 (95% CI 0.7 to 1.5) and 1.0 (95% CI 0.6 to 1.7), respectively. Combining clinical examination with conventional radiography produced a sensitivity of 50% (95% CI 29% to 71%), specificity of 91% (95% CI 82% to 97%), PPV of 67% (95% CI 46% to 83%), NPV of 84% (95% CI 77% to 88%), as well as a positive and negative LR of 5.6 (95% CI 2.4 to 13.2) and 0.6 (95% CI 0.4 to 0.8), respectively. The accuracy of conventional radiographs (80% compared with HR-pQCT) and clinical reassessment (46% compared with HR-pQCT) indicate that the value of clinical reassessment is limited in diagnosing scaphoid fractures and cannot be considered directive in managing scaphoid fractures. The combination of conventional radiographs and clinical reassessment does not increase the accuracy of these diagnostic tests compared with the accuracy of conventional radiographs alone and is therefore also limited in diagnosing scaphoid fractures. Level II, diagnostic study.

Radiographic characterization of acute scaphoid fractures in children under 11years of age.

Delayed diagnosis of scaphoid fractures can lead to long-term morbidity. While radiography is the preferred screening examination, there is a relative paucity of literature that examines fracture visibility in younger children, who have smaller ossification centers, an abundance of unossified cartilage and fractures that preferentially involve the distal scaphoid. To characterize acute scaphoid fractures in younger children on radiographs with observer agreement and with respect to fracture location. This institutional review board (IRB)-approved and Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA)-compliant cross-sectional study included children (≤10years of age) with acute scaphoid fractures (≤7days), who underwent radiographic examinations at a tertiary children's hospital between December 2008 and June 2019. Three readers (two pediatric radiologists and one orthopedic surgeon) reviewed each examination to determine fracture visibility on each radiographic view and fracture location. Kruskal-Wallis, Fisher exact and Cochran-Armitage tests were used to compare fracture visibility and location, and Kappa tests were used to calculate observer agreement. Twenty-eight children (15 boys, 13 girls; mean age: 9.5±0.6years) with 10 (36%) distal corner, 11 (39%) distal body and 7 (25%) mid-body fractures, underwent 7 (25%) 4-view, 18 (64%) 3-view and 3 (11%) 2-view examinations. Twenty-six (93%) fractures were visible on at least one view with six (21%) fractures visible on all available views. No significant association was found between fracture visibility and fracture location (P=0.32). Observer agreement was substantial to almost perfect. Only 7% of these acute scaphoid fractures in younger children are inconspicuous on the initial radiographic examination.

Diagnostic performance of cone-beam computed tomography for scaphoid fractures: a systematic review and diagnostic meta-analysis

Scaphoid fractures are the most common carpal fractures. Diagnosing scaphoid fractures is challenging. Recently, cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) has been shown to be a promising strategy for diagnosing scaphoid fractures. The diagnostic performance of CBCT remains inconclusive in the literature. Through a systematic review and meta-analysis, our study aims to determine the diagnostic performance of CBCT for diagnosing scaphoid fractures. Five databases were searched up to March 25, 2020. We included prospective and retrospective studies describing the diagnostic accuracy of CBCT for scaphoid fractures in adult patients. QUADAS-2 tool was used to assess the quality of the included studies. Four studies (n = 350) were included in the meta-analysis. Three of the four studies had high bias risk. The result showed that CBCT had a pooled sensitivity of 0.88 and a pooled specificity of 0.99 for scaphoid fracture diagnosis. The heterogeneities of sensitivity and specificity were substantial. The area under the summary receiver operating characteristic curve was 0.98. No significant publication bias was observed. The result suggested that the diagnostic performance of CBCT for scaphoid fracture was excellent. The certainty of current evidence is low. Further well-designed studies with large sample sizes are warranted to confirm this finding.

Comparative Study Between Role of Computed Tomography and Magnetic Resonance Imaging in Scaphoid Fracture Diagnosis

Background: Fractures of the scaphoid are the second most common fractures of the upper limb after distal radius fractures. Rapid and accurate diagnosis is needed, because delayed initiation of therapy increases the risk of complications such as non-union and avascular necrosis. Objectives: To compare between the diagnostic accuracies of Computed Tomography and Magnetic Resonance Imaging in detecting scaphoid fractures and its complications. Methods: This study was carried out on 30 patients presented to private Hand clinic from October 2018 to December 2019, with clinical symptoms of tenderness in the anatomic snuffbox after wrist trauma and suspected to have scaphoid fracture in the plane X-ray. They were invited to enroll in a comparison of CT and MRI with regard to their diagnostic utility. Results: The mean age for study participants was 31.8 years (SD = 12.6 years). Nineteen patients (66.7%) had horizontal fractures, 10 had oblique structures (33.3). The MDCT showed that 29 patients had cortical fractures, MRI showed that 27 had cortical fractures, 2 patients had mixed fractures and one patient had a trabecular fracture. Conclusion: Multidetector CT had the superiority over MRI in detection of cortical involvement in scaphoid fractures but MDCT was inferior to MRI in detection of trabecular scaphoid fractures. MRI was superior to MDCT in early detection of stage I Scaphoid non-union advanced collapse. MRI was superior to CT in early detection of avascular necrosis of proximal segment of scaphoid bone.

Diagnostic and Therapeutic Approach to Acute Scaphoid Fractures

AbstractThe scaphoid is the carpal bone that most often fractures, accounting for up to 70% of carpal fractures and 11% of hand fractures. It is the second most common arm fracture, only surpassed by fractures of the distal radius. Despite being so common, these fractures can be difficult to diagnose and treat due to the anatomic and physiological particularities of the bone, including its precarious vascularization, its complex three-dimensional structure, and its ligament connections, which greatly contribute to the risk of complications such as malunion, pseudoarthrosis and avascular necrosis. Although there are many published studies on the treatment of these injuries, there is still controversy over what is the most suitable one for certain fracture types. The present article is a comprehensive and updated review of the literature. Combining strategies for clinical and radiological diagnosis, we propose a complete algorithm for the diagnosis of scaphoid fractures based on the varying availability of resources, and we also describe the most appropriate therapeutic approach for the different types of acute fractures of this bone.

Evaluation of an artificial intelligence system for diagnosing scaphoid fracture on direct radiography.

The aim of this study is to determine the diagnostic performance of artificial intelligence with the use of convolutional neural networks (CNN) for detecting scaphoid fractures on anteroposterior wrist radiographs. The performance of the deep learning algorithm was also compared with that of the emergency department (ED) physician and two orthopaedic specialists (less experienced and experienced in the hand surgery). A total 390 patients with AP wrist radiographs were included in the study. The presence/absence of the fracture on radiographs was confirmed via CT. The diagnostic performance of the CNN, ED physician and two orthopaedic specialists (less experienced and experienced) as measured by AUC, sensitivity, specificity, F-Score and Youden index, to detect scaphoid fractures was evaluated and compared between the groups. The CNN had 76% sensitivity and 92% specificity, 0.840 AUC, 0.680 Youden index and 0.826 F score values in identifying scaphoid fractures. The experienced orthopaedic specialist had the best diagnostic performance according to AUC. While CNN's performance was similar to a less experienced orthopaedic specialist, it was better than the ED physician. The deep learning algorithm has the potential to be used for diagnosing scaphoid fractures on radiographs. Artificial intelligence can be useful for scaphoid fracture diagnosis particularly in the absence of an experienced orthopedist or hand surgeon.

Assessing the Diagnostic Accuracy of Multimedia Messaging for the Diagnosis of Scaphoid Fractures.

Introduction:Use of smartphone messaging applications, such as WhatsApp, for communication within clinical teams is widespread. Various studies have shown multiple uses for smartphones and multimedia messaging in orthopedic clinical practice for coordinating clinical duties and diagnosing various injuries but none have assessed scaphoid fractures. Our aims were to: (1) assess diagnostic accuracy (sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value) of viewing scaphoid X-rays on smartphones compared with desktop computers by using radiologist reports on the same X-rays as a reference test and (2) assess the intra-observer reliability of these studies.Methods:This was a prospective cross-sectional study of diagnostic accuracy using paired tests. The standard for reporting diagnostic accuracy (STARD) guidelines were used in its design. We asked orthopedic specialist registrars to interpret whether a scaphoid fracture was present on 20 scaphoid X-rays, obtained from the National Integrated Medical Imaging System (NIMIS). These were viewed on a desktop and on a smartphone. Data were then analyzed by using STATA 14 to run McNemar's test and to compare the sensitivity and specificity of the two index tests.Results:Phone and desktop interpretation had good sensitivity (72.7% and 78.2%) and specificity (75.2% and 77.9%) in assessing scaphoid fractures with no significant difference in sensitivity (p-value = 0.507) or specificity (p-value = 0.547). There was fair to moderate intra-observer reliability (kappa score 0.436; 95% confidence interval 0.295-0.577).Discussion:The fair to moderate scores of intra-observer agreement reflect the difficulty of diagnosing scaphoid fractures on X-rays. This study supports the use of smartphones for the diagnosis of scaphoid fractures.

Association of Lunate Morphology With Progression to Scaphoid Fracture Nonunion.

Background: The purpose of our study was to review a series of patients with scaphoid fractures to determine whether there was an association between lunate morphology and progression to delayed union or nonunion when treated operatively or nonoperatively. Secondary aims included evaluation of the relationship between lunate morphology and scaphoid fracture location. Methods: A retrospective review of all patients with a diagnosis of scaphoid fracture was performed at our institution between 2014 and 2017. Medical records and radiographs were evaluated to determine lunate morphology, scaphoid fracture location, treatment, and time to union. Differences between groups were determined using χ2 analysis with significance set at P <.05. Multiple logistic regression analyses were used to evaluate scaphoid union in the setting of lunate morphology when controlling for confounders. Results: A total of 169 patients were included; 45.0% (n = 76) of patients had type I lunate morphology, and 55.0% (n = 93) had type II. In all, 64.5% (n = 49) of patients with type I lunate and 68.8% (n = 64) with type II lunate had a fracture at the scaphoid waist. Among all patients with a scaphoid fracture, type II lunates were more likely than type I lunates to progress to nonunion when treated both operatively and nonoperatively (18.3% vs 4.0%, P = .0042). Lunate facet size was not shown to be a significant risk factor for nonunion among patients with a type II lunate (P = .4221). Conclusions: Patients with a scaphoid fracture and type II lunate morphology were more likely to progress to nonunion than patients with a type I lunate.

The interobserver reliability of the diagnosis and classification of scaphoid fractures using high-resolution peripheral quantitative CT.

Besides conventional radiographs, the use of MRI, CT, and bone scintigraphy is frequent in the diagnosis of a fracture of the scaphoid. However, which techniques give the best results remain unknown. The investigation of a new imaging technique initially requires an analysis of its precision. The primary aim of this study was to investigate the interobserver agreement of high-resolution peripheral quantitative CT (HR-pQCT) in the diagnosis of a scaphoid fracture. A secondary aim was to investigate the interobserver agreement for the presence of other fractures and for the classification of scaphoid fracture. Two radiologists and two orthopaedic trauma surgeons evaluated HR-pQCT scans of 31 patients with a clinically-suspected scaphoid fracture. The observers were asked to determine the presence of a scaphoid or other fracture and to classify the scaphoid fracture based on the Herbert classification system. Fleiss kappa statistics were used to calculate the interobserver agreement for the diagnosis of a fracture. Intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) were used to assess the agreement for the classification of scaphoid fracture. A total of nine (29%) scaphoid fractures and 12 (39%) other fractures were diagnosed in 20 patients (65%) using HR-pQCT across the four observers. The interobserver agreement was 91% for the identification of a scaphoid fracture (95% confidence interval (CI) 0.76 to 1.00) and 80% for other fractures (95% CI 0.72 to 0.87). The mean ICC for the classification of a scaphoid fracture in the seven patients diagnosed with scaphoid fracture by all four observers was 73% (95% CI 0.42 to 0.94). We conclude that the diagnosis of scaphoid and other fractures is reliable when using HR-pQCT in patients with a clinically-suspected fracture. Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2020;102-B(4):478-484.

Scaphoid fractures: has magnetic resonance imaging become a cost-effective alternative to definitive diagnosis?

A clinical examination finding of anatomical snuffbox tenderness (AST) with plain film radiographs alone yields low sensitivity and specificity in diagnosing scaphoid fractures. International guidelines suggest immediate referral for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) following one non-diagnostic radiograph in such patients. Perceived cost, high demand and limited capacity of MRI scanners have resulted in few suspected fractures following this pathway in our institution. Our study aimed to audit cost-effectiveness of immediate MRI referral following one non-diagnostic radiograph in the patient with AST versus current local practice. Retrospective analysis of all patients with suspected scaphoid fractures referred from the ED to the orthopaedic service over a six-month period was performed. Mean pricing per radiograph, casting, MRI and fracture clinic presentation was obtained from our hospital's Finance department. Ninety-seven patients were identified; 26 had scaphoid fractures (26.8%). Seventy-one patients with no fractures cost a mean €82,111.50 (IQR: €55,025, €98,335) having a mean of 3.1 clinic visits, 4.6 radiographs and 4.7weeks casted, versus €40,115 for early MRI referral as per guidelines (p > 0.05). In conclusion, when compared with current local practice, immediate referral of the patient with AST for MRI following one non-diagnostic ED radiograph is potentially cost-effective in establishing efficient diagnosis of scaphoid fractures. We recommend the implementation of published international guidelines in the investigation of query scaphoid fractures as a pragmatic and cost-effective practice.

The role of ultrasonography in the diagnosis of occult scaphoid fractures.

Background: Ultrasonography is widely utilized by emergency physicians and radiologists to diagnose various orthopaedic diseases, including fractures. We aim to derive a definitive estimate of the diagnostic accuracy of ultrasonography in clinically suspected scaphoid fractures. Methods: We undertook a systematic review and meta-analysis of included diagnostic cohort studies that discussed the use of ultrasonography in the diagnosis of occult scaphoid fractures. We searched the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence database using the Healthcare Databases Advanced Search tool. In addition, we utilized the PubMed database to search the Medical Literature Analysis and Retrieval System Online, Excerpta Medica database, Cumulative Index of Nursing and Allied Health and Allied and Complimentary Medicine databases. Studies were included if they discuss the role of ultrasound imaging in the diagnosis of scaphoid fractures based on cortical interruption, radio-carpal effusion and scapho-trapezium-trapezoid effusion. Quality assessment was performed using the methodological index for non-randomized studies scoring system. Results: 6 non-randomized control studies met the inclusion criteria. Collectively, these included 236 patients with a mean age ranging from 18 to 41.2 years. The quality of these articles ranged between moderate and high based on the methodological index for non-randomized studies score. The mean sensitivity was 88.95% (standard deviation 10.03) and mean specificity was 89.50% (standard deviation 12.21). Conclusion: The current literature reveals high sensitivity and specificity in the use of ultrasonography in scaphoid fracture diagnosis. However, multiple factors including technical differences in ultrasound machines and probes, small sample sizes and variability of subsequent confirmatory tests have created a challenge in determining the ultimate reliability of ultrasonography in the diagnosis of occult scaphoid fractures. Considering these factors and limitations, large-sample and high-quality clinical trials are needed to adequately assess its reliability for this purpose. One stop clinics, in the authors’ opinion, would be an ideal setting for its introduction as well as for future trials.