Can clinical parameters predict fractures in acute pediatric wrist injuries?

Pain Intensity and Risk of Bone Fracture in Children With Minor Extremity Injuries

OBJECTIVES

Injuries are one of the most common causes of pediatric emergency department (ED) visit. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between the intensity of pain at the ED visit of children presenting with an extremity injury and the risk of fracture.

METHODS

We conducted a retrospective study, considering all patients presenting to the ED of a children's hospital in Italy, with an accidental extremity injury, between May and December 2015. We selected all children aged 8 to 17 years who underwent an x-ray. Children with major, multiple, or nonextremity injuries were excluded. Age, sex, spontaneous and palpation pain, local swelling, time between injury, and medical evaluation were recorded. Sensibility and specificity of spontaneous and palpation pain in detecting a fracture were calculated.

RESULTS

We reviewed 994 medical records; of these, 344 (34.6%) reported a fracture. Children's median age was 12 years (interquartile range [IQR], 10-14). Median spontaneous pain at the ED visit was not significantly different between children with and without a fracture: 4.0 (1.0-6.0) and 5 (1.0-6.0), respectively (P = 0.129). Children with mild palpation pain and children without an increase of pain of at least 2 points between spontaneous and palpation pain were fractured in 3.2% and 0.97% of cases, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

In this series, pain intensity in children with a minor extremity injury was not a good marker of fracture. Nevertheless, children with mild palpation pain or with a mild increase of pain between spontaneous and palpation pain had a low risk of fracture.

Recovery of strength after reduced pediatric fractures of the forearm, wrist or hand; A prospective study

Introduction

The way strength recovers after reduction of pediatric fractures of the upper extremity has not previously been the specific scope of research. This is remarkable, since strength measurements are often used as an outcome measure in studies on trauma of the upper extremity. The aim of this study was to evaluate how strength recovers after sustainment of fractures of the forearm, wrist or hand treated by closed or open reduction in children and adolescents in the first 6 months after trauma. How much strength is lost at 6 weeks, 3 months and 6 months after trauma, and is this loss significant? Are there differences in the pattern of recovery between children who underwent a different treatment? And finally, which of the following factors are associated with an increase in the ratio between affected grip strength and expected strength: type of fracture, cast immobilization, occurrence of complications, and degree of pain?

Design

Prospective observational study.

Participants

Children and adolescents aged 4–18 years with a reduced fracture of the forearm, wrist or hand.

Methods

Grip strength, key grip and three-jaw chuck grip were measured twice in each hand 6 weeks, 3 months and 6 months after trauma. Details on fracture type and location, treatment received, cast immobilization and complications were obtained. Hand-dominance and pain were verbally confirmed.

Results

Loss of strength was more prominent and prolonged the more invasive the treatment, hence most extensive in the group receiving open reduction with internal fixation (ORIF), intermediate in the group receiving closed reduction with percutaneous pinning (CRIF), and least extensive in the group undergoing closed reduction without internal fixation (CR). Besides time passed, gender and age were of significant influence on strength, although there was no difference in pattern of recovery over time between children who received a different treatment. In the period of 6 weeks to 3 months after trauma, female gender, type of fracture sustained and occurrence of an unwanted event were associated with an increased ratio between affected and expected grip strength. For the later phase of recovery, between 3 and 6 months, this was only true for the occurrence of an unwanted event.

Short and long arm cast and pain after discharge in children who underwent reduction of distal forearm fracture in the Emergency Department: A study protocol for a randomized comparative effectiveness study

Distal forearm fracture is the most common fracture in childhood. Patients with this type of injury suffer from meaningful pain after Emergency Department (ED) discharge. Previous studies demonstrated that short arm (below-the-elbow) casts perform as well as long arm (above-the-elbow) casts for maintaining the reduction of distal forearm fractures, with a similar rate of complications. Consequently, short casts are the commonly used method of immobilization after closed reduction of a distal forearm fractures in children older than 4 years. However, short casts carry a potential disadvantage; since they cannot prevent supination in a wrist that is held in pronation, and vice versa, their use might be associated with pain.

We initiated this study to examine the effect of the type of casting on post discharge pain. We will conduct an open-label randomized, controlled trial comparing short cast immobilization with long cast immobilization in children who had a reduction of distal forearm fracture in the ED. Our hypothesis is that children with distal forearm fractures who are treated with a long cast, experience less pain during the first 48 h after ED discharge than children who are treated with a short cast.

Implementation of the Amsterdam Pediatric Wrist Rules

BACKGROUND

The Amsterdam Pediatric Wrist Rules have been developed and validated to reduce wrist radiographs following wrist trauma in pediatric patients. However, the actual impact should be evaluated in an implementation study.

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the effect of implementation of the Amsterdam Pediatric Wrist Rules at the emergency department.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A before-and-after comparative prospective cohort study was conducted, including all consecutive patients aged 3 to 18 years presenting at the emergency department with acute wrist trauma. The primary outcome was the difference in the number of wrist radiographs before and after implementation. Secondary outcomes were the number of clinically relevant missed fractures of the distal forearm, the difference in length of stay at the emergency department and physician compliance with the Amsterdam Pediatric Wrist Rules.

RESULTS

A total of 408 patients were included. The absolute reduction in radiographs was 19% compared to before implementation (chi-square test, P<0.001). Non-fracture patients who were discharged without a wrist radiograph had a 26-min shorter stay at the emergency department compared to patients who received a wrist radiograph (68 min vs. 94 min; Mann-Whitney U test, P=0.004). Eight fractures were missed following the recommendation of the Amsterdam Pediatric Wrist Rules. However, only four of them were clinically relevant.

CONCLUSION

Implementing the Amsterdam Pediatric Wrist Rules resulted in a significant reduction in wrist radiographs and time spent at the emergency department. The Amsterdam Pediatric Wrist Rules were able to correctly identify 98% of all clinically relevant distal forearm fractures.

External validation of clinical decision rules for children with wrist trauma

BACKGROUND

Clinical decision rules help to avoid potentially unnecessary radiographs of the wrist, reduce waiting times and save costs.

OBJECTIVE

The primary aim of this study was to provide an overview of all existing non-validated clinical decision rules for wrist trauma in children and to externally validate these rules in a different cohort of patients. Secondarily, we aimed to compare the performance of these rules with the validated Amsterdam Pediatric Wrist Rules.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We included all studies that proposed a clinical prediction or decision rule in children presenting at the emergency department with acute wrist trauma. We performed external validation within a cohort of 379 children. We also calculated the sensitivity, specificity, negative predictive value and positive predictive value of each decision rule.

RESULTS

We included three clinical decision rules. The sensitivity and specificity of all clinical decision rules after external validation were between 94% and 99%, and 11% and 26%, respectively. After external validation 7% to 17% less radiographs would be ordered and 1.4% to 5.7% of all fractures would be missed. Compared to the Amsterdam Pediatric Wrist Rules only one of the three other rules had a higher sensitivity; however both the specificity and the reduction in requested radiographs were lower in the other three rules.

CONCLUSION

The sensitivity of the three non-validated clinical decision rules is high. However the specificity and the reduction in number of requested radiographs are low. In contrast, the validated Amsterdam Pediatric Wrist Rules has an acceptable sensitivity and the greatest reduction in radiographs, at 22%, without missing any clinically relevant fractures.

A clinical decision rule for the use of plain radiography in children after acute wrist injury: development and external validation of the Amsterdam Pediatric Wrist Rules

BACKGROUND

In most hospitals, children with acute wrist trauma are routinely referred for radiography.

OBJECTIVE

To develop and validate a clinical decision rule to decide whether radiography in children with wrist trauma is required.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We prospectively developed and validated a clinical decision rule in two study populations. All children who presented in the emergency department of four hospitals with pain following wrist trauma were included and evaluated for 18 clinical variables. The outcome was a wrist fracture diagnosed by plain radiography.

RESULTS

Included in the study were 787 children. The prediction model consisted of six variables: age, swelling of the distal radius, visible deformation, distal radius tender to palpation, anatomical snuffbox tender to palpation, and painful or abnormal supination. The model showed an area under the receiver operator characteristics curve of 0.79 (95% CI: 0.76-0.83). The sensitivity and specificity were 95.9% and 37.3%, respectively. The use of this model would have resulted in a 22% absolute reduction of radiographic examinations. In a validation study, 7/170 fractures (4.1%, 95% CI: 1.7-8.3%) would have been missed using the decision model.

CONCLUSION

The decision model may be a valuable tool to decide whether radiography in children after wrist trauma is required.

Imaging of the elbow in children with wrist fracture: an unnecessary source of radiation and use of resources?

BACKGROUND

Anecdotally accepted practice for evaluation of children with clinically suspected or radiographically proven wrist fracture in many urgent care and primary care settings is concurrent imaging of the forearm and elbow, despite the lack of evidence to support additional images. These additional radiographs may be an unnecessary source of radiation and use of health care resources.

OBJECTIVE

Our study assesses the necessity of additional radiographs of the forearm and elbow in children with wrist injury.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We reviewed electronic medical records of children 17 and younger in whom wrist fracture was diagnosed in the emergency department. We identified the frequency with which additional radiographs of the proximal forearm and distal humerus demonstrated another site of acute injury.

RESULTS

We identified 214 children with wrist fracture. Of those, 129 received additional radiographs of the elbow. Physical examination findings proximal to the wrist were documented in only 16 (12%) of these 129 children. A second injury proximal to the wrist fracture was present in 4 (3%) of these 129 children, all of whom exhibited physical examination findings at the elbow. No fractures were documented in children with a negative physical examination of the elbow.

CONCLUSION

Although elbow fractures occasionally complicate distal forearm fractures in children, our findings indicate that a careful physical evaluation of the elbow is sufficient to guide further radiographic investigation. Routine radiographs of both the wrist and elbow in children with distal forearm fracture appear to be unnecessary when an appropriate physical examination is performed.

A pilot study to identify clinical predictors for wrist fractures in adult patients with acute wrist injury

BACKGROUND

To date, no clinical decision rules for acute wrist injuries are available. In the past, clinical decision rules for the knee, ankle and spine injuries have been developed and validated. Implementation of these rules resulted in standardised clinical assessment at the emergency department and a substantial reduction of radiographic diagnostics. The objective of the study was to identify predictors for wrist fractures in patients with acute wrist injury which might potentiate a clinical decision rule in the future. This is a prospective pilot study in adult patients presenting with acute wrist injury at the emergency department of the Canisius-Wilhelmina Hospital in the Netherlands.

METHODS

Clinical variables were collected in a case report file by emergency physicians. Radiography was ordered according to common practice to confirm or rule out the presence of fractures. Independent associations between the presence of clinical variables and wrist fractures were calculated. Multivariable analysis was performed in order to quantify sensitivity and specificity for fracture prediction.

RESULTS

A total of 63 wrist fractures were detected in the study population of 95. Age over 55 years, inability to carry weight directly after trauma, support of injured wrist by the contralateral hand for pain relief, presence of swelling and/or hematoma, visible wrist deformity and reduced range of motion were associated with the presence of a wrist fracture.

CONCLUSIONS

Our study identified clinical predictors for wrist fractures in patients with acute wrist injury. Future studies are needed for justification of evidence-based wrist assessment and identification of a 100% sensitive decision rule for wrist fractures.

Sideline coverage: when to get radiographs? A review of clinical decision tools

CONTEXT

Sidelines coverage presents unique challenges in the evaluation of injured athletes. Health care providers may be confronted with the question of when to obtain radiographs following an injury. Given that most sidelines coverage occurs outside the elite level, radiographs are not readily available at the time of injury, and the decision of when to send a player for radiographs must be made based on physical examination. Clinical tools have been developed to aid in identifying injuries that are likely to result in radiographically important fractures or dislocations.

EVIDENCE ACQUISITION

A search for the keywords x-ray and decision rule along with the anatomic locations shoulder, elbow, wrist, knee, and ankle was performed using the PubMed database. No limits were set regarding year of publication. We selected meta-analyses, randomized controlled trials, and survey results. Our selection focused on the largest, most well-studied published reports. We also attempted to include studies that reported the application of the rules to the field of sports medicine.

STUDY DESIGN

Retrospective literature review.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

Level 4.

RESULTS

The Ottawa Foot and Ankle Rules have been validated and implemented and are appropriate for use in both pediatric and adult populations. The Ottawa Knee Rules have been widely studied, validated, and accepted for evaluation of knee injuries. There are promising studies of decision rules for clinically important fractures of the wrist, but these studies have not been validated. The elbow has been evaluated with good outcomes via the elbow extension test, which has been validated in both single and multicenter studies. Currently, there are no reliable clinical decision tools for traumatic sports injuries to the shoulder to aid in the decision of when to obtain radiographs.

CONCLUSION

Clinical decision tools have been developed to aid in the diagnosis and management of injuries commonly sustained during sporting events. Tools that have been appropriately validated in populations outside the initial study population can assist sports medicine physicians in the decision of when to get radiographs from the sidelines.

Diagnostic accuracy of history, physical examination, and bedside ultrasound for diagnosis of extremity fractures in the emergency department: a systematic review

OBJECTIVES

Understanding history, physical examination, and ultrasonography (US) to diagnose extremity fractures compared with radiography has potential benefits of decreasing radiation exposure, costs, and pain and improving emergency department (ED) resource management and triage time.

METHODS

The authors performed two electronic searches using PubMed and EMBASE databases for studies published between 1965 to 2012 using a strategy based on the inclusion of any patient presenting with extremity injuries suspicious for fracture who had history and physical examination and a separate search for US performed by an emergency physician (EP) with subsequent radiography. The primary outcome was operating characteristics of ED history, physical examination, and US in diagnosing radiologically proven extremity fractures. The methodologic quality of the studies was assessed using the quality assessment of studies of diagnostic accuracy tool (QUADAS-2).

RESULTS

Nine studies met the inclusion criteria for history and physical examination, while eight studies met the inclusion criteria for US. There was significant heterogeneity in the studies that prevented data pooling. Data were organized into subgroups based on anatomic fracture locations, but heterogeneity within the subgroups also prevented data pooling. The prevalence of fracture varied among the studies from 22% to 70%. Upper extremity physical examination tests have positive likelihood ratios (LRs) ranging from 1.2 to infinity and negative LRs ranging from 0 to 0.8. US sensitivities varied between 85% and 100%, specificities varied between 73% and 100%, positive LRs varied between 3.2 and 56.1, and negative LRs varied between 0 and 0.2.

CONCLUSIONS

Compared with radiography, EP US is an accurate diagnostic test to rule in or rule out extremity fractures. The diagnostic accuracy for history and physical examination are inconclusive. Future research is needed to understand the accuracy of ED US when combined with history and physical examination for upper and lower extremity fractures.

How do clinical features help identify paediatric patients with fractures following blunt wrist trauma?

OBJECTIVE

Wrist injuries are a common presentation to the emergency department (ED). There are no validated decision rules to help clinicians evaluate paediatric wrist trauma. This study aimed to identify which clinical features are diagnostically useful in deciding the need for a wrist radiograph, and then to develop a clinical decision rule.

METHODS

This prospective cohort study was carried out in the ED of Sheffield Children's Hospital. Eligible patients were recruited if presenting within 72 hours following blunt wrist trauma. A standardised data collection form was completed for all patients. The outcome measure was the presence or absence of a fracture. Univariate analysis was performed with the chi2 test. Associated variables (p<0.2) were entered into a multivariate model. Classification and regression tree (CART) analysis was used to derive the clinical decision rule.

RESULTS

In total, 227 patients were recruited and 106 children were diagnosed with fractures (47%). Of 10 clinical features analysed, six were found by univariate analysis to be associated with a fracture. CART analysis identified the presence of radial tenderness, focal swelling, or an abnormal supination/pronation as the best discriminatory features. Cross fold validation of this decision rule had a sensitivity of 99.1% (95% confidence interval 94.8% to 100%) and a specificity of 24.0% (17.2% to 32.3%). The radiography rate would be 87%.

CONCLUSIONS

Radial tenderness, focal swelling, and abnormal supination/pronation are associated with wrist fractures in children. The clinical decision rule derived from these features had a high sensitivity, but low specificity, and would not substantially alter our current radiography rate. The potential for a clinical decision rule for paediatric wrist trauma appears limited.