Biomaterial Database

Pitfalls in sonography of the Gamekeeper's thumb. 1997

K Hergan, and C Mittler, and W Oser

Zentrales Institut für Radiologie, LKH Feldkirch, Carinagasse 47, A-6800 Feldkirch, Austria.

The gamekeeper's or skier's thumb is a very common injury. Nondisplaced tears of the ulnar collateral ligament of the thumb (UCL) may be treated conservatively. For that reason an accurate diagnosis is mandatory for choosing the correct therapy. Ultrasound is able to depict the position of the torn UCL correctly in approximately 90 % of cases. Sonographic pitfalls can be caused by a dislocation of the palmar joint capsule to the ulnar joint space, by a scalloping of the adductor aponeurosis due to the displaced UCL, and by scar tissue or technical mistakes. It is important to know about those pitfalls because conservative treatment of displaced UCL tears leads to instability. Therefore, the use of MRI is recommended whenever a nondisplaced UCL tear is suspected by US and a conservative therapy is suggested. Splitting the diagnostic pathway between US and MRI and preferring conservative therapy in nondisplaced UCL tears should help to save money in this field.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D007596	Joints	Also known as articulations, these are points of connection between the ends of certain separate bones, or where the borders of other bones are juxtaposed.	Joint
D008279	Magnetic Resonance Imaging	Non-invasive method of demonstrating internal anatomy based on the principle that atomic nuclei in a strong magnetic field absorb pulses of radiofrequency energy and emit them as radiowaves which can be reconstructed into computerized images. The concept includes proton spin tomographic techniques.	Chemical Shift Imaging,MR Tomography,MRI Scans,MRI, Functional,Magnetic Resonance Image,Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Functional,Magnetization Transfer Contrast Imaging,NMR Imaging,NMR Tomography,Tomography, NMR,Tomography, Proton Spin,fMRI,Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging,Imaging, Chemical Shift,Proton Spin Tomography,Spin Echo Imaging,Steady-State Free Precession MRI,Tomography, MR,Zeugmatography,Chemical Shift Imagings,Echo Imaging, Spin,Echo Imagings, Spin,Functional MRI,Functional MRIs,Image, Magnetic Resonance,Imaging, Magnetic Resonance,Imaging, NMR,Imaging, Spin Echo,Imagings, Chemical Shift,Imagings, Spin Echo,MRI Scan,MRIs, Functional,Magnetic Resonance Images,Resonance Image, Magnetic,Scan, MRI,Scans, MRI,Shift Imaging, Chemical,Shift Imagings, Chemical,Spin Echo Imagings,Steady State Free Precession MRI
D005384	Finger Joint	The articulation between the head of one phalanx and the base of the one distal to it, in each finger.	Interphalangeal Joint of Hand,Interphalangeal Joint of Finger,Finger Interphalangeal Joint,Finger Interphalangeal Joints,Finger Joints,Hand Interphalangeal Joint,Hand Interphalangeal Joints,Joint, Finger,Joints, Finger
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D012680	Sensitivity and Specificity	Binary classification measures to assess test results. Sensitivity or recall rate is the proportion of true positives. Specificity is the probability of correctly determining the absence of a condition. (From Last, Dictionary of Epidemiology, 2d ed)	Specificity,Sensitivity,Specificity and Sensitivity
D012865	Skiing	A snow sport which uses skis to glide over the snow. It does not include water-skiing.	Snowboarding,Snow Skiing,Skiing, Snow,Skiings, Snow,Snow Skiings
D013933	Thumb	The first digit on the radial side of the hand which in humans lies opposite the other four.	Thumbs
D014457	Ulna	The inner and longer bone of the FOREARM.	Semilunar Notch,Trochlear Notch,Ulnar Coronoid Process,Ulnar Trochlear Groove,Coronoid Process, Ulnar,Semilunar Notchs,Trochlear Groove, Ulnar,Trochlear Notchs,Ulnar Coronoid Processes,Ulnar Trochlear Grooves,Ulnas
D014463	Ultrasonography	The visualization of deep structures of the body by recording the reflections or echoes of ultrasonic pulses directed into the tissues. Use of ultrasound for imaging or diagnostic purposes employs frequencies ranging from 1.6 to 10 megahertz.	Echography,Echotomography,Echotomography, Computer,Sonography, Medical,Tomography, Ultrasonic,Ultrasonic Diagnosis,Ultrasonic Imaging,Ultrasonographic Imaging,Computer Echotomography,Diagnosis, Ultrasonic,Diagnostic Ultrasound,Ultrasonic Tomography,Ultrasound Imaging,Diagnoses, Ultrasonic,Diagnostic Ultrasounds,Imaging, Ultrasonic,Imaging, Ultrasonographic,Imaging, Ultrasound,Imagings, Ultrasonographic,Imagings, Ultrasound,Medical Sonography,Ultrasonic Diagnoses,Ultrasonographic Imagings,Ultrasound, Diagnostic,Ultrasounds, Diagnostic
D017885	Collateral Ligaments	A number of ligaments on either side of, and serving as a radius of movement of, a joint having a hingelike movement. They occur at the elbow, knee, wrist, metacarpo- and metatarsophalangeal, proximal interphalangeal, and distal interphalangeal joints of the hands and feet. (Stedman, 25th ed)	Lateral Ligaments,Ligaments, Collateral,Ligaments, Lateral,Collateral Ligament,Lateral Ligament,Ligament, Collateral,Ligament, Lateral