少年野球選手に対する超音波を用いた肘検診

Early Detection of Elbow Injuries among Young Baseball Players Using Ultrasonography

　小学校野球チームの選手247名を対象とし，超音波を用いて，野球肘の有無を調査した．超音波では，上腕骨内上顆の裂離を48名に，上腕骨小頭の離断性骨軟骨炎を2名に認めた．X線撮影を行った36名の全例で，X線所見と超音波所見が一致していた．超音波は野球肘の診断に有用であり，練習場に携帯できる利点がある．

　The aim of this study was to address the usefulness of ultrasonography for detecting elbow injuries among young baseball players. Two hundred and forty-seven volunteers aged from 9 to 12 years and belonging to youth baseball teams participated. Ultrasonography of the elbow was performed in the field where baseball exercises were being conducted. Ultrasonography showed that 48 subjects had medial epicondylar fragmentation and two had early-stage osteochondritis dissecans of the capitellum. In 36 subjects who agreed to further examination and treatment, radiography confirmed the ultrasonographic findings. These results suggest that ultrasonography in the field is useful for early detection of elbow injuries.