The role of bone scan in the diagnosis of carpal fracture in children.
A retrospective study was performed to evaluate the role of bone scan in the management of wrist trauma in children with equivocal radiographic findings. Thirty-one out of the 50 children showed no fracture. Six of them were treated for a median period of 9 days on clinical grounds; the others were discharged with reassurance. Four patients with evidence of soft tissue injury received no further treatment. Six of the 12 patients with a fracture on bone scan were treated with a cast for more than 4 weeks. None of the patients developed any complications. Bone scan is helpful when the diagnosis of a carpal fracture in children is equivocal.
Department of Nuclear Medicine, Addenbrookes Hospital, Cambridge, UK. h.cheow@addenbrookes.nhs.uk
Heok K
HK
Cheow
Patricia
P
Set
Susan
S
Robinson
Kottekkattu K
KK
Balan
D000293:Adolescent; D002348:Carpal Bones / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000293:injuries*; D002648:Child; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D050723:Fractures, Bone / Q000175:diagnosis*; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D011859:Radiography; D011877:Radionuclide Imaging; D013997:Time Factors; D015599:Trauma Severity Indices