Ulnar collateral ligament: differentiation of displaced and nondisplaced tears with US and MR imaging.

Radiology

Zentrales Institut für Radiologie, LKH Feldkirch, Austria.

Published: January 1995

Purpose: To compare the usefulness of ultrasound (US) and magnetic resonance (MR) imaging in the differentiation of displaced and nondisplaced tears of the ulnar collateral ligament (UCL).

Materials And Methods: Seventeen patients (eight female and nine male, aged 14-70 years) with clinically diagnosed tears underwent examination with US and MR imaging. T1-weighted, spin-echo (SE) and T2-weighted, turbo SE sequences were used. MR and US findings were compared with those of surgery. Normal UCLs in 21 volunteers were also examined with MR imaging.

Results: The results of US were correct in 15 patients, but displaced and nondisplaced ruptures were misinterpreted in two patients (sensitivity, 88%; specificity, 83% for displaced, 91% for nondisplaced). Sensitivity and specificity were both 100% for MR imaging. The T2-weighted sequence was more useful because the normal UCL is rarely homogeneously hypointense.

Conclusion: MR imaging is better than US, but both methods are useful in the evaluation of the torn UCL.

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Source
http://dx.doi.org/10.1148/radiology.194.1.7997584DOI Listing

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