Occult fractures of the greater tuberosity are common and can be a source of prolonged disability. In our study we evaluated the use of ultrasound (US) in the diagnosis of these fractures.
We retrospectively reviewed the notes of patients who were referred to our institute for evaluation of a posttraumatic painful shoulder without diagnosis of fracture between the June 2007 and May 2008.
We identified 50 patients that underwent sonographic evaluation of their shoulder and an additional imaging modality (CT scan, Bone scan, MRI).
US had an overall sensitivity of 95% and specificity 93% for identifying greater tuberosity fractures as compared to the second modality. Sonographic evaluation of patient with post traumatic painful shoulder was found to be an accurate tool for the diagnosis of occult fractures of the greater tuberosity.
