EASY Algorithm Trial (Elbow Trauma Assessment Using Sonography in Children and Youth) Diagnostic Accuracy and Safety of Point-of-care Ultrasound as a Screening Tool for Suspected Elbow Fractures in Children Aged 5 to 15 Years: a Multicenter Prospective Cohort Study

EASY Algorithm Trial (Elbow Trauma Assessment Using Sonography in Children and Youth) Diagnostic Accuracy and Safety of Point-of-care Ultrasound as a Screening Tool for Suspected Elbow Fractures in Children Aged 5 to 15 Years: a Multicenter Prospective Cohort Study by the German Section for Pediatric Traumatology (SKT)

The goal of this observational study is to learn about the safety and accuracy of ultrasound as a screening tool to detect broken bones (fractures) in the elbow area in children and youth aged 5 to 15 years. The main question it aims to answer is:

- Can ultrasound reliably show that there is a fracture in the elbow area after an accident?

Participants will:

• Have an ultrasound of their elbow to look for fluid in the joint.
• Have standard X-rays of their elbow to check if there is a fracture.
• Have their medical records checked and answer a phone call 6 weeks later to see how their elbow has healed (only if no fracture was found during the first visit).

Inclusion Criteria:

• children and adolescents aged 5-15 years with anamnestic and clinically justified need for the exclusion of a fracture after elbow trauma

Exclusion Criteria:

• elbow trauma as part of a polytrauma,
• parents' insufficient German language skills (spoken or written),
• trauma more than 72 hours ago,
• presentation at the emergency room with current, post-traumatic external X-ray images of the affected elbow joint from another clinic or practice,
• open fracture of the affected elbow joint,
• skin avulsion of the affected elbow joint,
• visible deformity of the affected elbow joint,
• and pathological status of peripheral circulation, motor function, and/or sensitivity.