Validation of Navigation Ultrasound for Clavicular Length Measurement

Accurate clavicular length measurement is considered important for the selection of patients requiring surgical treatment after a midclavicular fracture. As radiographic length measurements can be inaccurate to varying degrees, new measurement methods are needed. Use of novel technology, navigation ultrasound, to deliver accurate measurements seems promising. To examine the reliability and validity of navigation ultrasound for length measurements of the clavicle, a study was performed using length measurements performed before forensic autopsies from 2012 to 2013. In total, 38 bodies with a median age of 52.5 (range: 21-78 y) were included. Navigation ultrasound exhibited high reliability (intra-class correlation coefficient: 0.942-0.997, standard error of the mean: 0.7-2.9 mm, minimal detectable change: 2.3-8.1 mm) and validity (measurement error: 1.3%-1.8%, limits of agreement (95% confidence interval): approximately ± 7.5 mm, Pearson's correlation R: 0.948-0.974). Navigation ultrasound can measure clavicular length with an intra-rater reliability matching that of 3-D rendered computed tomography scans and with high validity. Its use could spread to other fields requiring accurate musculoskeletal length measurements.