MRI findings in chronic exertional compartment syndrome of the forearm: Using signal intensity ratio as a diagnostic tool

SA Journal of Radiology

 
 
Field Value
 
Title MRI findings in chronic exertional compartment syndrome of the forearm: Using signal intensity ratio as a diagnostic tool
 
Creator Badenhorst, Jacques Velleman, Mark Jansen van Rensburg, Audrey Botha, Tanita van der Walt, Nikki Janse van Rensburg, Dina
 
Subject Diagnostic Radiology; Musculoskeletal Radiology; Sports Medicine; Orthopaedic Surgery forearm compartment syndrome; chronic exertional compartment syndrome; CECS; exercise MRI; forearm pain; compartment syndrome; athletes
Description Background: Chronic exertional compartment syndrome (CECS) of the forearm is a rare but important cause of morbidity amongst athletes involved in strenuous upper limb activities. The diagnosis remains challenging due to the absence of objective, reproducible diagnostic studies.Objectives: To assess and quantify signal intensity (SI) changes of involved muscles in patients with CECS of the forearm compared to healthy control subjects competing in similar sporting disciplines. Also, to objectively measure MRI SIs within muscle compartments when using a pre- and post-exercise regime and calculating a signal intensity ratio (SIR) between post- and pre-exercise studies.Method: The study retrospectively examined MRI scans of patients treated for CECS of the forearm and compared these to the MRI scans of asymptomatic high-level rowers. A specific, reproducible pre- and post-exercise MRI scanning protocol was utilised in both patient and control subjects between 2011 and 2020. Signal intensities were evaluated pre- and post-exercise in involved muscle groups and ratios were calculated.Results: A total of 86 SIs were measured (43 pre- and 43 post-exercise) in nine study participants (five patients and four controls). After post:pre-exercise comparisons, a statistically significant difference was found between control and patient groups (p = 0.0010). The extensor carpi radialis, flexor digitorum profundus and flexor digitorum superficialis muscles were most commonly involved.Conclusion: This study confirms that significant SI changes are apparent in patients with CECS of the forearm when making use of a standardised pre- and post-exercise MRI protocol. Furthermore, SIR may be used to accurately diagnose CECS of the forearm.
 
Publisher AOSIS
 
Contributor Capital Radiology Pretoria MR Trust
Date 2021-10-06
 
Type info:eu-repo/semantics/article info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion — Cross-sectional, descriptive pilot study
Format text/html application/epub+zip text/xml application/pdf
Identifier 10.4102/sajr.v25i1.2219
 
Source South African Journal of Radiology; Vol 25, No 1 (2021); 7 pages 2078-6778 1027-202X
 
Language eng
 
Relation
The following web links (URLs) may trigger a file download or direct you to an alternative webpage to gain access to a publication file format of the published article:

https://sajr.org.za/index.php/sajr/article/view/2219/3000 https://sajr.org.za/index.php/sajr/article/view/2219/3001 https://sajr.org.za/index.php/sajr/article/view/2219/3002 https://sajr.org.za/index.php/sajr/article/view/2219/3003
 
Coverage South Africa; Gauteng; Africa; 2011-2020 Athletes,
Rights Copyright (c) 2021 Jacques Badenhorst, Mark Velleman, Audrey Jansen van Rensburg, Tanita Botha, Nikki van der Walt, Christa Janse van Rensburg https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
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