Ultrasonographic appearance of external callus in long-bone fractures.

High-resolution real-time ultrasound (US) scanning was used to monitor serially 24 patients with an acute long-bone fracture and three patients with humeral non-union, looking at the fracture site over a period of 12 months following the fracture. In both these groups, we found that US gave important information about the soft tissues surrounding the fracture site, and indicated callus formation at an early stage. US was more sensitive than conventional radiography at showing the early phases of organization of the callus, and its progression to bridging new bone formation. US also clearly showed a disorganized echopattern at the fracture site of the patients with non-union.