Bone Fracture: Diagnostic Tests

Obligatory medical device diagnostics.

  • X-ray diagnostics of the musculoskeletal system – X-rays of the injured region are the initial medical device diagnostics leading the way for further investigations.
  • Computed tomography (CT) – sectional imaging procedure (X-ray images from different directions with computer-based evaluation), particularly well suited for imaging bony injuries:
    • If necessary, in special cases for reliable fracture imaging resp.
      • To determine the fracture morphology (e.g., in tibial plateau fracture, humeral head fracture).
      • Luxations (dislocations) with possible accompanying bony defects (e.g., in shoulder dislocation, elbow dislocation, distortions of the knee joint)
    • Addition, the examination serves the staging (stage determination) in possible tumor diseases that may have led to a pathological fracture.
  • Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) – computer-assisted cross-sectional imaging (using magnetic fields, that is, without X-rays); particularly well suited for imaging soft tissue injuries in fractures.
  • Fracture sonography (ultrasound of fractures) for visualization of pathologies (“pathological changes”) visible on the cortical surface (tubular, outer bone) and for assessment of axial deviations and soft tissue injuries (hematomas/bruises, joint effusions) – especially in pediatric traumatology/growing age:
    • X-ray-free diagnosis and therapy management (clavicle (collarbone) fractures, fractures near the wrist/fractures of the distal forearm/sensitivity (percentage of diseased patients in whom the disease is detected by the use of the test, i.e., a positive test result occurs) of 96% and specificity (probability that actually healthy persons who do not suffer from the disease in question are also detected as healthy by the procedure) of 97%)
    • Improvement in diagnostics (proximal humerus fractures (fracture of the humerus); subcapital (“below the joint head”) humerus fractures can be detected with a sensitivity of 94% and a specificity of 100%)
    • Avoidance of unnecessary radiation exposure (elbow injuries/fractures; elbow fractures: sensitivity of 97.9% and a specificity of 95%, containment ROI (engl.: region of interest), position control, diagnostics in pregnant women)
  • Abdominal ultrasonography (ultrasound examination of the abdominal organs) – is used to assess any injuries caused by a fracture or fracture-related processes.

Optional medical device diagnostics.

  • Bone densitometry (DXA/DEXA) – Osteodensitometry (bone densitometry), for example, by means of dual X-ray absorptiometry (DXA/DEXA; radiographic method) is used for early diagnosis and follow-up of osteoporosis (bone loss).