title: Interrater reliability of sonographic examinations of orbital fractures.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this study is to determine whether there are statistically significant variations among different observers when examining fractures of the orbital walls.
  
  
  METHODS
  From December 2003 to April 2004, 28 patients with clinically suspected orbital fractures were examined by ultrasound prospectively. The US images of the infra-orbital margins, the orbital floors, the medial and lateral orbital walls of each patient were reexamined by two independent investigators.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Computed tomography revealed fractures of the orbital floor in 28 out of 31 patients (90.3%). The infra-orbital margins showed fractures of 14 of 31 patients (45.2%). The ultrasound examinations of the orbits by the three examiners presented satisfactory correlation regarding sensitivity and specificity. There were no significant differences between investigators. There was good agreement among the ultrasound examiners regarding the infra-orbital margins. This was not the case for the orbital floors.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  If there are clear cut clinical findings ultrasound examination could represent an alternative to computed tomography. If the clinical findings were indeterminate, computed tomography was essential as implicated by this study. Accordingly, further evaluation of ultrasound examinations of fractures of the orbital margins and floors are necessary.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, University of Innsbruck, Maximilianstr. 10, A-6020 Innsbruck, Australia. siegfried.jank@gmx.de
authors.forename: Siegfried
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Jank
authors.forename: Jank
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Siegfried
authors.forename: Martina
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Deibl
authors.forename: Deibl
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Martina
authors.forename: Heinrich
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Strobl
authors.forename: Strobl
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Heinrich
authors.forename: Andreas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Oberrauch
authors.forename: Oberrauch
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Andreas
authors.forename: Alessandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Nicasi
authors.forename: Nicasi
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Alessandro
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Missmann
authors.forename: Missmann
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Martin
authors.forename: Gerd
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Bodner
authors.forename: Bodner
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Gerd
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015588:Observer Variation; D009917:Orbital Fractures / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011446:Prospective Studies; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D014463:Ultrasonography