Musculoskeletal Ultrasound

USG in musculoskeletal applications is a ‘well established’, ‘specialized’ and ‘doer dependent’ technique. Ultrasonography (USG) technology today is equipped to depict structures ranging from large tumors to smallest nerve fascicles due to the high-resolution images. It is a rapid and real time depiction of structures in dynamic motion.

USG is free of radiation, making it safe for repeated use in populations like children or pregnant women. It is an excellent tool for evaluating patients with claustrophobia who are unable to undergo MRI. It is cost effective and quick and hence can be used to evaluate multiple joints in the same sitting. It is free of artifacts due to implants and hence can be used as a post operative imaging tool.

USG can be utilized to evaluate various joints and adjacent structures, ranging from large joints like shoulder and hip to small joints of the fingers and toes. Various tendons and superficial ligaments can be explicitly delineated by USG in acute as well as chronic conditions. It is a quick and reliable modality, in trained hands, to detect tendinosis, tendon tears, calcific tendinitis, impingement etc.

It can help surgeons to triage patients with acute injuries, like ankle twist injuries by evaluating ankle ligaments and hence decide need for further investigations. Assessments of muscles includes muscle tear or hematomas, muscle bulk assessment, atrophy/ fatty infiltration.

All ‘swellings’/‘lumps and bumps’ involving/around the joints can be evaluated ranging from joint effusion to masses.

MSK US also supports personalized treatment monitoring, like tendon healing post PRP treatment, synovial inflammation reduction in inflammatory arthritis etc.

MSK US’s high-resolution, dynamic imaging, cost-effectiveness, accessibility, and patient-friendly profile positions it as a cornerstone of modern musculoskeletal care, revolutionizing diagnosis and management across diverse clinical settings.