Ultrasound is a useful tool to evaluate nerve involvement in children with supracondylar humerus fractures.

Supracondylar humerus fracture (SHF) is a common childhood injury and represents approximately 60% of all\r\nelbow fractures in children. Nerve injures associated with this fracture are well-known, and may be a direct\r\nconsequence of the trauma itself or iatrogenic. Neurophysiological study is the gold standard to assess\r\nperipheral nerve injuries but it is invasive and may be difficult to perform in children. Furthermore,\r\nneurophysiology can best provide useful information 2-4 weeks post-injury, it does not show nerve anatomy,\r\nand is not able to distinguish between axonotmesis and neurotmesis. Nerve ultrasound (US) represents an\r\nextension of clinical examination8 and can provide morphologic information. US is being used with increasing\r\nfrequency to visualize nerves and their surroundings in traumatic nerve lesion, because it helps localize and\r\ndefine the peripheral nerve injury. In particular US can distinguish axonotmesis and neuroapraxia (in which there\r\nis nerve continuity) from neurotmesis (in which nerve continuity is absent) to provide information useful for\r\nsurgery, and it can also facilitate post-operative management.