Open AccessUse of Digital Tomosynthesis in Assessing Accurate Medial Epicondyle Fracture Displacement as Compared With Conventional Radiography and Computed Tomography
Author(s) -
Kristin S. Livingston,
Emily A. Edwards,
Michael G. Griffin,
J. D. MacKenzie,
Matthew A. Zapala
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
journal of pediatric orthopaedics/journal of pediatric orthopedics
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.318
H-Index - 96
eISSN - 1539-2570
pISSN - 0271-6798
DOI - 10.1097/bpo.0000000000001917
Subject(s) - medicine , radiography , displacement (psychology) , tomosynthesis , coronal plane , nuclear medicine , epicondyle , cadaveric spasm , sagittal plane , transverse plane , tomography , elbow , digital radiography , radiology , anatomy , psychology , cancer , breast cancer , mammography , psychotherapist
Medial epicondyle fracture displacement is notoriously difficult to determine on conventional radiography, and follow-up computed tomography (CT) is often obtained to measure precise displacement. Another option for fracture characterization is digital tomosynthesis (DT), a technology providing high in-plane resolution of bony anatomy by acquiring multiple low-dose images in a linear arc. Advantages of DT include lower radiation exposure and lower cost than CT, rapid image acquisition, and a similar patient experience to conventional radiography. The digital application of tomosynthesis is relatively new and is integrated as an add-on feature with modern radiography equipment. This study compares DT, CT and conventional radiography for measurement accuracy in medial epicondyle fractures with the goal of determining relative accuracy in measuring medial epicondyle fracture displacement.