A simulation model for the ultrasound diagnosis of long-bone fractures.
BACKGROUND
Ultrasound is emerging as a promising tool for the diagnosis of skeletal fractures, particularly in environments where conventional radiography may be absent or limited. This article presents a high-fidelity, practical simulation model for the ultrasound diagnosis of long-bone fractures and also examines the ability of physicians to diagnose the presence or absence of different fracture patterns using this model.


METHODS
The bony component of the model is a bare turkey leg bone that is mechanically fractured and housed in a shallow plastic container within a gelatin-based solution. Twenty physicians sonographically evaluated five models with different fracture patterns for the presence or absence of a fracture and were then queried regarding their opinion of this model as a teaching tool.


RESULTS
Physicians were able to correctly identify the presence or absence of a fractured model with 100% sensitivity and 100% specificity across all fracture patterns and expressed agreement that this would be a useful teaching model.


CONCLUSIONS
This high-fidelity, practical model is simple to construct, and the creation of a variety of fracture patterns is possible. Physicians found this to be a potentially useful teaching tool and correctly identified the presence or absence of different simulated fractures. Further studies may validate this simulation model as a teaching tool in the sonographic assessment of long bones for the presence of fractures and examine the potential clinical impact of this trainer.
Heiner
Jason D
JD
Department of Emergency Medicine, Madigan Army Medical Center, Tacoma, WA 98431, USA. jasonheiner@hotmail.com
McArthur
Todd J
TJ
D000818:Animals; D002983:Clinical Competence / Q000592:standards; D050723:Fractures, Bone / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D006810:Humeral Fractures / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D010820:Physicians; D013663:Teaching / Q000379:methods*; D014421:Turkey; D014463:Ultrasonography