title: Sonography findings in tears of the extensor pollicis longus tendon and correlation with CT, MRI and surgical findings.
abstract: We present our experience in the diagnosis of extensor pollicis longus tendon tears using different imaging methods. In the past 2 years, 12 patients (7 males, 5 females) with extension deficit of distal phalanx of thumb were diagnosed with extensor pollicis longus tendon (EPL) rupture by means of different imaging methods. The ultrasound pattern consisted of a gap between tendon stumps occupied by a continuous (eight cases) or discontinuous (four cases) attenuated hypoechoic string. In nine cases, the tendon ends were identified as a thickened stump-like structure. In the other three cases, tendon stumps were attenuated and mixed with atrophic muscle or wrist subcutaneous fat. All ultrasound findings were confirmed by CT, MR and/or surgical findings.
authors.affiliation: Hospital of Traumatology, Ciudad Sanitaria Virgen de las Nieves, Carretera de Jaen SN, 18013 Granada, Spain. ferusan@telefonica.net
authors.forename: Fernando Ruiz
authors.initials: FR
authors.lastname: Santiago
authors.forename: Pilar Garófano
authors.initials: PG
authors.lastname: Plazas
authors.forename: Juan Miguel Tristán
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Fernández
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D013708:Tendon Injuries / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000601:surgery*; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D014463:Ultrasonography