Ultrasonography role for evaluation of hand tendon injuries

Abstract

Background: Most tendons injuries are open injuries to the flexor or extensor tendons, but less frequent injuries. Ultrasound (US) and MRI used as a diagnostic tool for tendon injuries.
Objective: This study aimed to investigate the overall accuracy of the bedside tendon ultrasonography, which can be used to the diagnosis and discharge planning in patients with suspected hand tendon injuries.
Patients and methods: A cross sectional study included 24 patients diagnosed with a hand tendon injuries either preoperative or postoperative and carried out in the Department of Radiodiagnosis at Zagazig University Hospitals. Preoperative ultrasound was performed to the affected tendon to perform multisectional scans without flexion or extension of the wrists in all cases. The unaffected hand and fingers were also examined in the same fashion as the affected fingers for comparison.
Results: There was significant increase in number of patients presented with injury preoperatively who didn’t present with nerve injury. There was significant change in number of patients presented with either single or multiple tendon injuries. There was significant increase in frequency in patient without foreign body. There were two patients with ultrasonographic features of tendon injury had no tendon injury proven by surgery with sensitivity of 91.7 %. There was significant increase in number of patients presented with tendon injury. US can detect tendon injury with 100% sensitivity, 91.7% positive predictive value and 91.7% accuracy.
Conclusion: Ultrasound is a useful diagnostic tool for modality of predicting and diagnosis of a tendon rupture in hand injuries.