This study assessed the use of ultrasound in the diagnosis of carpal tunnel syndrome and to determine the best ultrasound criterion for diagnosis. Forty wrists of 27 patients with surgically proven moderate and severe carpal tunnel syndrome and 30 wrists of 15 controls were examined. Measurements of the cross-sectional area and the anteroposterior diameter of the median nerve at the inlet and outlet of the carpal tunnel were obtained. Patients also underwent electrophysiological evaluation. Median nerve ultrasonographic measurements were significantly higher in patients. The cross-sectional area of the median nerve at the tunnel inlet was found to be the most useful diagnostic criterion. The optimal cut-off value was 6.5 mm2 (sensitivity 89.5%, specificity 93%). Ultrasound parameters failed to correlate with the electrophysiological findings. The usefulness of ultrasonography in the diagnosis of carpal tunnel syndrome is discussed.
ObjectiveFoot osteoarthritis (OA) is very common but under-investigated musculoskeletal condition and there is little consensus as to common MRI imaging features. The aim of this study was to develop a preliminary foot OA MRI score (FOAMRIS) and evaluate its reliability.
MethodsThis preliminary semi-quantitative score included the hindfoot, midfoot and metatarsophalangeal joints. Joints were scored for joint space narrowing (JSN, 0-3), osteophytes (0-3), joint effusion/synovitis and bone cysts (present/absent). Erosions and bone marrow lesions (BMLs) were scored (0-3) and BMLs were evaluated adjacent to entheses and at sub-tendon sites (present/absent). Additionally, tenosynovitis was scored (0-3) and midfoot ligament pathology was scored (present/absent). Reliability was evaluated in 15 people with foot pain and MRIdetected OA using 3.0T MRI multi-sequence protocols and assessed using
ConclusionThis preliminary FOAMRIS demonstrated good intra-reader reliability and fair interreader reliability when assessing the total feature scores. Further development is required in cohorts with a range of pathologies and to assess the psychometric measurement properties.
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