Rib Fracture Diagnosis

This multicenter retrospective study evaluated the diagnostic accuracy of chest CT for detecting rib fractures in children under two years old investigated for suspected physical abuse, using initial and follow-up chest radiographs as the reference standard. Across 64 patients reviewed by 19 consultant radiologists, chest CT showed high sensitivity and specificity, particularly at the patient and rib levels, with slightly lower sensitivity by specific rib location. Overall, chest CT reliably detected rib fractures and may serve as an effective alternative to the current standard of multiple chest radiographs in this setting.