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CT scans should be used alongside X-rays for hip break patients

Tuesday 27th June 2017
Patients with broken hips should receive a CT scan alongside their initial X-ray for improved long-term outcomes, according to a new study. Image: monkeybusinessimages via iStock
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Radiographers should use computed tomography (CT) scans alongside traditional X-rays when assessing hip breaks in older patients in order to determine the full extent to which the joint and muscle is damaged, a new report states.

A study carried out by scientists at the University of California Davis Medical Center and published earlier this month in the American Journal of Roentgenology identified that it typically took longer for patients with broken hips to recover if the muscle connecting the spine with the joint was also damaged.

If muscle mass has been lost, this may be a sign that the patient is suffering from sarcopenia, which may impact their recovery even further.

This can be assessed with a CT scan, as these provide more muscle detail than traditional X-rays, leading the researchers to suggest that they should be used more frequently by radiographers and other healthcare professionals to uncover the full extent of an injury.

As a result, this will allow patients' care to be better tailored to their individual needs, enabling them to recover at their own pace and strengthen their muscles to prevent future similar injuries.

The University of California researchers' study period lasted for ten years, during which time they found that patients with greater core muscle strength were significantly more likely to have survived in good health a decade after their hip break, emphasising the importance of this being checked by medics as early on as possible.

Lead author of the study Robert Boutin commented: "As patients age, it becomes increasingly important to identify the safest and most beneficial orthopaedic treatments, but there currently is no objective way to do this.

"Information on muscle is included on every routine CT scan of the chest, abdomen and pelvis, so the additional evaluations can be done without the costs of additional tests, equipment or software."

Written by Megan Smith

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