BOSTON — Primary care clinicians may be able to accurately diagnose meniscal injuries using point-of-care ultrasound , according to new research presented at the
Researchers from New York City Health and Hospitals/Bellevue addressed this problem by implementing POCUS into the diagnostic process at the safety net hospital. For the study, clinicians in affiliated primary care and urgent care clinics were trained in knee POCUS. They placed markers on ultrasound images to denote areas of concern, which were then reviewed by outside clinicians.
Out of the 11 patients who were identified with meniscal injuries using POCUS, six underwent an MRI, confirming the diagnosis in all cases. Three patients were awaiting an MRI by the presentation time, one MRI was canceled due to resolved symptoms, and one patient was lost to follow-up, the study noted.