Accuracy of Rib Palpation for Dry Needling of Deep Periscapular Musculature, Measured With Ultrasound

NCT04066166 — Completed, 44 participants, University of Utah

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Registry	NCT04066166
Status	Completed
Study type	Observational
Enrollment	44 (Actual)
Sponsor	University of Utah (Other)
Conditions	Trigger Point Pain, Myofascial
Interventions	Palpation (Diagnostic test)
Dates	start 2016-01-01, primary completion 2017-07-01, completion 2017-07-31, first posted 2019-08-26, last updated 2026-04-27

-Summary

Ultrasound was used to identify the location of a rib. This was compared to a practitioner's ability to palpate the area.

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+Detailed description

Ultrasound was used to identify the location of a rib. This was compared to a practitioner's ability to palpate the area. The purpose of this study is to identify if practitioners are as accurate as they think they are in identifying ribs. This is important, as mis-identifying a rib may put patients at risk for inadvertent needle entry into the lung.

+Arms and interventions

Arm	Type	Interventions	Description
Subjects		Diagnostic Test: Palpation	Healthy

Palpation (Diagnostic test): All healthy subjects palpated

+Outcome measures

Primary outcomes

Accuracy [1 year]: Number of participants who were appropriately identified compared to ultrasound

+Eligibility

Sex: All, ages: 18 Years to any, accepts healthy volunteers

Inclusion Criteria:

* Anyone with ribs

Exclusion Criteria:

* No children

+Posted results

Participant flow

Milestone	All Subjects
Started	44
Completed	44
Not completed	0

Outcome results

Accuracy (Primary), Count of participants, Participants: All Subjects 29

Adverse events

Time frame: from enrollment until 20 minutes after the completion of the ultrasound

Arm	Deaths	Serious adverse events	Other adverse events
All Subjects	0/44 (0.0%)	0/44 (0.0%)	0/44 (0.0%)

+Study documents

Study Protocol and Statistical Analysis Plan (PDF, 2019-08-19)
Informed Consent Form (PDF, 2019-08-19)

+Investigators

Daniel Cushman, Principal investigator, UNIVERSITY OF UTAH ORTHOPAEDICS CENTER