Improved identification of sternal injuries with multidetector computed tomography (MDCT): sagittal reconstructions.
Chest computed tomography is acquired in the axial plane, but sternal injuries may be missed on axial images. This study hypothesized that sagittal sternal reconstruction images improve detection of sternal injury and radiologist's confidence in diagnosis compared to axial images. Five radiologists independently reviewed first axial images and on a different day sagittal images of a retrospective set of trauma cases recording presence/absence of a sternal injury and/or adjacent hematoma. The reviewer's confidence in the presence/absence of a sternal injury was assessed on a 5-point scale. Sagittal reconstructions generally yielded higher interreader agreement and confidence indices on statistical analysis.
UAB Medicine, Department of Radiology, 619 19th Street South, JT N370, Birmingham, Alabama 35249. Electronic address: nterry@uabmc.edu.
Nina L J
NL
Terry
UAB Medicine, Department of Radiology, 619 19th Street South, JT N370, Birmingham, Alabama 35249. Electronic address: jrwatts@uabmc.edu.
Jubal R
JR
Watts
UAB Medicine, Department of Radiology, 619 19th Street South, JT N370, Birmingham, Alabama 35249. Electronic address: ssonavane@uabmc.edu.
Sushil K
SK
Sonavane
UAB Biostatistics, 1665 University Boulevard, RPHB 309E, Birmingham, Alabama 35294. Electronic address: mbeasley@uab.edu.
Timothy Mark
TM
Beasley
UAB Medicine, Department of Radiology, 619 19th Street South, JT N370, Birmingham, Alabama 35249. Electronic address: Rfmunden@houstonmethodist.org.
Reginald
R
Munden
UAB Medicine, Department of Radiology, 619 19th Street South, JT N370, Birmingham, Alabama 35249. Electronic address: hnath@uabmc.edu.
P Hrudaya
PH
Nath
UAB Medicine, Department of Radiology, 619 19th Street South, JT N370, Birmingham, Alabama 35249. Electronic address: ssingh@uabmc.edu.
Satinder P
SP
Singh
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D061330:Multidetector Computed Tomography / Q000379:methods*; D015588:Observer Variation; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013249:Sternum / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000293:injuries*
Sternal injury/fracture; Sternum; Trauma