Salam Musa and Paul Wilson review the role of portable ultrasound in the diagnosis and management of distal limb fractures in a minor injury unit

Distal limb fractures are common presentations to emergency departments and minor injury units (MIUs). The authors conducted a study of the usefulness and efficiency of portable ultrasound in detecting the presence of minor fractures in patients presenting to Cirencester Hospital’s MIU. Patients above two years of age about whom there was a high clinical suspicion of a closed fracture of the distal forearm or wrist, or the lower limb, were included in the study. After initial clinical assessments, the patients were referred for X-ray, as is usual for such patients, and also for ultrasound imaging of their injured sites. The ultrasound and radiograph images were subsequently compared for injury and presence of fracture, and this article discusses the results.