Diagnosing Fractures of the Distal Tibial Articular Surface in Tibia Shaft Fractures: Is Computed Tomography Always Necessary?

Conclusions: CT scans performed on distal third tibia shaft fractures in search of articular fractures had a low yield (23%). Widespread use of CT scan to diagnose fractures of the distal tibia articular surface in the setting of distal tibia shaft fractures does not seem warranted. No statistically significant differences in RIDEFAST ratios were found between fractures with and without articular involvement, indicating that more work is necessary before RIDEFAST can be used to reliably rule out articular involvement in this setting. Level of Evidence: Diagnostic Level III. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.
Source: Journal of Orthopaedic Trauma - Category: Orthopaedics Tags: Original Article Source Type: research