Usefulness of an acoustic edge artifact in assessment of the Ilizarov corticotomy interval.

Thirty-three ultrasound examinations of the corticotomy interval of patients undergoing Ilizarov procedures were retrospectively evaluated for the presence or absence of an acoustic edge artifact. This artifact, consisting of a fine anechoic band, has been previously described in phantom models and is presumed to be due to phase cancellation effects. We demonstrated this artifact in 8 of 33 examinations. The artifact proved helpful in identifying the location of the corticotomy margin, even when this margin was obscured by the presence of developing periosteal new bone. Attention to technical factors is, however, important. We believe that this artifact may have a useful role in the routine monitoring of the Ilizarov patient.