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Value of ultrasonography for observation of early healing of humeral shaft fractures

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Abstract

Purpose

Explore the value of ultrasonography for observation of early healing of humeral shaft fractures.

Methods

Sixty-five humeral shaft fracture patients were recruited. They were examined sonographically with color Doppler ultrasonography (CDU) and/or power Doppler ultrasonography (PDU) during the 1st week, 2nd week, 3rd week, 4th week, 9th week, and 15th week after the initial surgical procedure of internal fixation. Formation of callus consolidation and the resistance indexes (RI) of blood flow in different durations were compared between the good healing group and bad healing (delayed fracture healing or nonunion) group.

Results

Ultrasound showed that 59 patients had good fracture healing. Within the 2nd and 4th week after surgery, the RI decreased over time (P < 0.05) and color Doppler flow imaging (CDFI/PDU) grading ranged from II to III. Six patients had bad fracture healing (delayed healing or nonunion). Insufficient or absent blood flow signals demonstrated that no callus was found in and/or around the fracture sites. CDFI grading ranged from 0 to I. There was significant difference compared with the good healing group (P < 0.05).

Conclusion

CDFI/PDU is an easy, painless, and effective method for predicting the prognosis of humeral shaft fractures by estimating early healing.

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Acknowledgments

Project funded: No. z2003100, Department of Medical Healthcare Teaching and Research, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, the People’s Republic of China.

Conflict of interest

All authors have no conflict of interest regarding this paper.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Ultrasound, Guangxi Minzu Hospital, Nanning, 530001, China

    Hai-Qing Su, Xiao-Hua Huang & Bing-Bing Lu

  2. Department of Orthopedics, Guangxi Minzu Hospital, Nanning, 530001, China

    Xiao-Qiang Zhuang, Yu Bai, Sheng-Lin Lu, De-Yi Nong & Wei Wang

  3. Department of Surgery, Guangxi Minzu Hospital, Nanning, 530001, China

    Hai-Hong Ye

Authors
  1. Hai-Qing Su
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  2. Xiao-Qiang Zhuang
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  3. Yu Bai
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  5. Xiao-Hua Huang
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  6. Bing-Bing Lu
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  7. Sheng-Lin Lu
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  8. De-Yi Nong
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  9. Wei Wang
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Hai-Qing Su.

Additional information

H.-Q. Su and X.-Q. Zhuang contributed equally to the work.

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Su, HQ., Zhuang, XQ., Bai, Y. et al. Value of ultrasonography for observation of early healing of humeral shaft fractures. J Med Ultrasonics 40, 231–236 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10396-012-0426-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10396-012-0426-z

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