Role of High Resolution Ultrasound and Magnetic Resonance Imaging in Traumatic Soft Tissue Injuries of the Wrist and Hand

Aim of the Work To assess the role of ultrasound in the diagnosis of traumatic soft tissue injuries of hand and wrist. Patients and Method This study includes 30 patients with a mean age of 42.17 years ±9, all with history of traumatic soft tissue injuries in hand and wrist, all patients underwent ultrasound and MRI. The U/S&MRI diagnostic criteria of each patient were analyzed, compared and correlated with clinical diagnosis/ or operative findings . Results A comparison of the sensitivity of US versus MRI was done by correlating the final diagnosis of each modality with clinical diagnosis and/or operative findings. In general as regard all types of soft tissue injuries we found that, in correlation with clinical diagnosis US gives (93.3% sensitivity), while MRI gives (73.3% sensitivity). US & MRI result shows agreement in detection of all types of post traumatic soft tissue injuries except in chronic tendinopathy, tendon fibrosis ,and chronic tendon tear heals by fibrosis we found no agreement between them (in which ultrasound can diagnose them, while MRI couldn’t detect them). Conclusion Ultrasound shows higher sensitivity in diagnosis of soft tissue injuries of hand and wrist than MRI, as compared to operative findings and /or clinical data.