The Role For Diagnostic MSK Ultrasound As a Primary Imaging Modality In The Early Diagnosis And Ongoing Management Of Lower Extremity Bone Stress Injuries - AIUM 2024

Persinger J, Hager N

The Incidence of stress fractures in military members has been reported to range from .8%-6.9% for men and from 3.4% - 21% for women.   The early identification is critical to optimizing treatment for bone stress injuries (BSI). The current gold standard for diagnosing BSI is either triple-phase, Bone scintigraphy technetium-99m, MRI or CT. Diagnostic, high frequency ultrasound (US) has been demonstrated to identify early periosteal changes in BSI.

This case report concluded that high frequency ultrasound is a relibale and accurate modality for early diagnosis of BSI and assiting with return to duty decision making. This diagnostic imaging tool for BSI is valuable, inexpensive, and easily accesible. Future studies are warranted to determine whether US could be a competitive screening tool vs MRI for initial BSI diagnosis