The clinician’s ability to evaluate the strength of healing fractures from plain radiographs

Manohar M. Panjabi; Ronald W. Lindsey; Stephen D. Walter; Augustus A. White

doi:10.1097/00005131-198903010-00006

The clinician’s ability to evaluate the strength of healing fractures from plain radiographs

Manohar M. Panjabi, Ronald W. Lindsey, Stephen D. Walter, Augustus A. White

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

50 Scopus citations

Abstract

The present study was designed to analyze the usefulness of plain radiographs in evaluating bone healing. Rabbit tibiae were osteotomized, externally fixed, and allowed to heal for 3–8 weeks. Bones were harvested, x-rayed, and tested to failure in a dynamic torsion tester. AP and lateral radiographs of 10 rabbit tibia pairs and 10 individual rabbit tibiae were selected randomly for use in a questionnaire, given to 93 physicians who routinely assess fracture healing to evaluate clinicians’ ability to assess bone strength. The results indicated that clinicians can differentiate the relative strength of bones by comparing two sets of radiographs. However, the strength determination from a single set of radiographs of a fracture is unreliable, the tendency being to evaluate the fracture to be weaker than it actually is.

Original language	English (US)
Pages (from-to)	29-32
Number of pages	4
Journal	Journal of orthopaedic trauma
Volume	3
Issue number	1
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1097/00005131-198903010-00006
State	Published - 1989
Externally published	Yes

Keywords

Biomechanics
Fracture healing
Radiograph
Radiographic assessment
Torsion test

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Surgery
Orthopedics and Sports Medicine

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10.1097/00005131-198903010-00006

Cite this

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title = "The clinician{\textquoteright}s ability to evaluate the strength of healing fractures from plain radiographs",

abstract = "The present study was designed to analyze the usefulness of plain radiographs in evaluating bone healing. Rabbit tibiae were osteotomized, externally fixed, and allowed to heal for 3–8 weeks. Bones were harvested, x-rayed, and tested to failure in a dynamic torsion tester. AP and lateral radiographs of 10 rabbit tibia pairs and 10 individual rabbit tibiae were selected randomly for use in a questionnaire, given to 93 physicians who routinely assess fracture healing to evaluate clinicians{\textquoteright} ability to assess bone strength. The results indicated that clinicians can differentiate the relative strength of bones by comparing two sets of radiographs. However, the strength determination from a single set of radiographs of a fracture is unreliable, the tendency being to evaluate the fracture to be weaker than it actually is.",

keywords = "Biomechanics, Fracture healing, Radiograph, Radiographic assessment, Torsion test",

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AU - Panjabi, Manohar M.

AU - Lindsey, Ronald W.

AU - Walter, Stephen D.

AU - White, Augustus A.

PY - 1989

Y1 - 1989

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AB - The present study was designed to analyze the usefulness of plain radiographs in evaluating bone healing. Rabbit tibiae were osteotomized, externally fixed, and allowed to heal for 3–8 weeks. Bones were harvested, x-rayed, and tested to failure in a dynamic torsion tester. AP and lateral radiographs of 10 rabbit tibia pairs and 10 individual rabbit tibiae were selected randomly for use in a questionnaire, given to 93 physicians who routinely assess fracture healing to evaluate clinicians’ ability to assess bone strength. The results indicated that clinicians can differentiate the relative strength of bones by comparing two sets of radiographs. However, the strength determination from a single set of radiographs of a fracture is unreliable, the tendency being to evaluate the fracture to be weaker than it actually is.

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The clinician’s ability to evaluate the strength of healing fractures from plain radiographs

Abstract

Keywords

ASJC Scopus subject areas

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