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Published on: February 2, 2015
Infant shoulder sonography: technique, anatomy, and pathology
1Department of Medical Imaging, Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children, P. O. Box 269, Wilmington, DE 19899, USA. lgrissom@nemours.org
Insights
Ultrasound effectively evaluates infant shoulder injuries like instability, fracture, and infection. This noninvasive imaging technique aids in diagnosing conditions difficult to detect radiographically in newborns.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Radiology
- Musculoskeletal Ultrasound
- Infant Imaging
Background:
- Radiographic evaluation of infant shoulder injuries from birth trauma or infection can be challenging.
- Shoulder ultrasound offers a dynamic, noninvasive alternative for assessing infant shoulder pathology.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop and refine a multiplanar, dynamic ultrasound technique for infant shoulder evaluation.
- To demonstrate the successful identification of various shoulder pathologies in infants using ultrasound.
Main Methods:
- A cohort of 24 normal and 12 symptomatic infants (3 days to 9 months) underwent shoulder ultrasound.
- A multiplanar, dynamic imaging approach was employed to examine 49 infant shoulders.
Main Results:
- Ultrasound revealed normal findings in 41 shoulders and abnormalities in 8.
- Detected abnormalities included subluxation, fracture, abnormal cartilage, soft-tissue masses, and inflammatory collections like effusion.
Conclusions:
- Ultrasound is a successful modality for evaluating the infant shoulder.
- The technique can reliably diagnose instability, fractures, and infections in the infant shoulder.
Background:
In the infant, shoulder injury due to birth trauma and infection in joint and bone may be difficult to detect radiographically. Shoulder ultrasound provides a dynamic, noninvasive method of evaluation.
Objective:
To develop a technique to evaluate the infant shoulder and to successfully demonstrate pathology.
Materials And Methods:
Using a multiplanar, dynamic technique, 24 normal and 12 symptomatic infants (age range, 3 days to 9 months) were examined (49 shoulders).
Results:
Sonographic findings were normal in 41 shoulders and abnormal in 8 shoulders. Abnormalities included subluxation, fracture, abnormal cartilage, soft-tissue mass, and inflammatory collections, including effusion.
Conclusion:
Ultrasound can be used successfully to evaluate the infant shoulder for instability, fracture, and infection.
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