Computed tomography scan to detect traumatic arthrotomies and identify periarticular wounds not requiring surgical...

To report our experience with computed tomography (CT) scans to detect traumatic arthrotomies of the knee (TAK) joint based on the presence of intra-articular air.

Retrospective review.

Level I trauma center.

Sixty-two consecutive patients (63 knees) underwent a CT scan of the knee in the emergency department and had a minimum of 14 days follow-up. Cohort of 37 patients (37 knees) from the original 62 patients who underwent a saline load test (SLT).

CT scan and SLT.

Positive traumatic arthrotomy of the knee (+TAK) was defined as operating room (OR) confirmation of an arthrotomy or no intra-articular air on CT scan (-iaCT) (and -SLT if performed) with follow-up revealing a septic knee. Periarticular wound equivalent to no traumatic arthrotomy (pw = (-TAK)) was defined as OR evaluation revealing no arthrotomy or -iaCT (and -SLT if performed) with follow-up revealing no septic knee.

All 32 knees with intra-articular air on CT scan (+iaCT) had OR confirmation of a TAK and none of these patients had a knee infection at a mean follow-up of 140.0 ± 279.6 days. None of the 31 patients with -iaCT had a knee infection at a mean follow-up of 291.0 ± 548.1 days. Based on these results, the sensitivity and specificity of the CT scan to detect +TAK and pw = (-TAK) was 100%. In a subgroup of 37 patients that received both a CT scan and the conventional SLT, the sensitivity and specificity of the CT scan was 100% compared with 92% for the SLT (P < 0.001).

CT scan performs better than the conventional SLT to detect traumatic knee arthrotomies and identify periarticular knee wounds that do not require surgical intervention and should be considered a valid diagnostic test in the appropriate clinical setting.

Diagnostic Level III. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.