A computer-assisted systematic quality monitoring method for cervical hip fracture radiography.

BACKGROUND: A thorough quality analysis of radiologic performance is cumbersome. Instead, the prevalence of missed cervical hip fractures might be used as a quality indicator.

PURPOSE: To validate a computer-based quality study of cervical hip fracture radiography.

MATERIAL AND METHODS: True and false negative and positive hip trauma radiography during 6 years was assessed manually. Patients with two or more radiologic hip examinations before surgery were selected by computer analysis of the databases. The first of two preoperative examinations might constitute a missed fracture. These cases were reviewed.

RESULTS: Out of 1621 cervical hip fractures, manual perusal found 51 (3.1%) false negative radiographic diagnoses. Among approximately 14,000 radiographic hip examinations, there were 27 (0.2%) false positive diagnoses. Fifty-seven percent of false negative reports were occult fractures, the other diagnostic mistakes. There were no significant differences over the years. Diagnostic sensitivity was 96.9% and specificity 99.8%. Computer-assisted analysis with a time interval of at least 120 days between the first and the second radiographic examination discovered 39 of the 51 false negative reports.

CONCLUSION: Cervical hip trauma radiography has high sensitivity and specificity. With computer-assisted analysis, 76% of false negative reports were found.