107 - Diagnostic accuracy of ultrasound in pediatric ankle sprains: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Thursday, February 19, 2026

5:00 PM - 6:30 PM AST

Presenting Author(s)

IZ

Iris Zou, RN

Student Doctor
Rowan-Virtua School of Medicine
Sewell, New Jersey, United States

Co-Author(s)

AR

Abdul Rahmani, BA

Student Doctor
Rowan-Virtua School of Osteopathic Medicine
Voorhees, New Jersey, United States
MF

Morris Franco, DO

Dr. Morris Franco- Transitional year resident
Ocean University medical center
Long Branch, New Jersey, United States

Corresponding Author(s)

RP

Ritu Patel, MS

Student Doctor
Kansas College of Osteopathic Medicine
Santa Ana, California, United States

Co-Author(s)

US

Umayma Saifuddin, BA

Student Doctor
Rowan-Virtua School of Medicine
Sewell, New Jersey, United States
JL

Jennifer Longo, PhD, ATC, EMT

Assistant Professor
University of Maine
Orono, Maine, United States

Submitter(s)

IZ

Iris Zou, RN

Student Doctor
Rowan-Virtua School of Medicine
Sewell, New Jersey, United States

Objectives: Lateral ankle sprains are the second most common cause of emergency department visits in pediatric patients (under 18 years of age). To date, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) remains the gold standard for visualization of ligamentous and occult bone injuries located around the ankle. However, barriers include limited availability within healthcare systems, possible need for sedation in younger populations, and the need for pediatric patients to remain immobile for an extended period of time. Point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) may yield similar results to MRI but with fewer barriers. This study aims to determine whether POCUS has comparable diagnostic accuracy to MRI.

Design: A literature search was conducted across 6 databases (PubMed, Medline, Web of Science, Scopus, Embase, and Cochrane Library) for published studies to date (August 2025). Studies that compared ankle ultrasound with MRI in pediatric patients (under 18 years old) who had ankle sprains were included. Ankle sprain injuries, ankle trauma, and ankle ligament tears were included.

Results: Three studies were included for analysis. The initial search yielded 1118, of which 435 were duplicates. Title and abstract review resulted in 660 articles excluded. After full article review and screening against inclusion and exclusion criteria, 20 articles were excluded. POCUS has comparable diagnostic accuracy to MRI. However, sensitivity and specificity of POCUS compared to MRI were mixed.

Conclusions: Limited available research highlights the need for more studies to be done to assess the role of POCUS in pediatric ankle injuries. Despite these limitations, the comparable diagnostic accuracy of POCUS to MRI in pediatric ankle injuries suggests that POCUS could be a more accessible alternative to MRI.