Accuracy of Rib Palpation for Dry Needling of Deep Periscapular Musculature, Measured With Ultrasound
April 23, 2026 updated by: Daniel Cushman, University of Utah
Ultrasound was used to identify the location of a rib.
This was compared to a practitioner's ability to palpate the area.
Study Overview
Status
Completed
Conditions
Intervention / Treatment
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.
Study Type
Observational
Enrollment (Actual)
44
Participation Criteria
Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.
Eligibility Criteria
Ages Eligible for Study
18 years and older (Adult, Older Adult)
Accepts Healthy Volunteers
Yes
Sampling Method
Non-Probability Sample
Study Population
All healthy participants
Description
Inclusion Criteria:
- Anyone with ribs
Exclusion Criteria:
- No children
Study Plan
This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.
How is the study designed?
Design Details
- Observational Models: Cohort
- Time Perspectives: Cross-Sectional
Cohorts and Interventions
Group / Cohort |
Intervention / Treatment |
|---|---|
|
Subjects
Healthy
|
All healthy subjects palpated
|
What is the study measuring?
Primary Outcome Measures
Outcome Measure |
Measure Description |
Time Frame |
|---|---|---|
|
Accuracy
Time Frame: 1 year
|
Number of participants who were appropriately identified compared to ultrasound
|
1 year
|
Collaborators and Investigators
This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.
Sponsor
Investigators
- Principal Investigator: Daniel Cushman, UNIVERSITY OF UTAH ORTHOPAEDICS CENTER
Study record dates
These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.
Study Major Dates
Study Start (Actual)
January 1, 2016
Primary Completion (Actual)
July 1, 2017
Study Completion (Actual)
July 31, 2017
Study Registration Dates
First Submitted
August 12, 2019
First Submitted That Met QC Criteria
August 20, 2019
First Posted (Actual)
August 26, 2019
Study Record Updates
Last Update Posted (Actual)
April 27, 2026
Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria
April 23, 2026
Last Verified
March 1, 2026
More Information
Terms related to this study
Additional Relevant MeSH Terms
Other Study ID Numbers
- 0084226
Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)
Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?
UNDECIDED
Drug and device information, study documents
Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product
No
Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product
No
This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.