Ultrasound of Nerves

USG can finely delineate peripheral nerves with high resolution images, allowing visualization of even small nerve fascicles. It forms a robust tool to investigate conditions like nerve injuries, post trauma or post-surgery/intervention.

It can diagnose the grade of nerve injury, exact retraction in cases of complete nerve transections, presence of neuromas, scarring around the nerve, nerve compression, if any. Presence of orthopedic metal implants leads to artifacts on MRI and hence suboptimal evaluation of post-surgical nerve injuries. In these cases, USG scores over MRI and can delineate the entire peripheral nerve.

USG can evaluate compressive neuropathy and the entire course of the nerve can be traced in one sitting, for site, degree and cause of compression like in cases of carpal tunnel syndrome, cubital tunnel syndrome, tarsal tunnel syndrome, posterior interosseous nerve compression etc.

Multiple nerve involvement, like in cases of leprosy or multiple masses along the nerves like in neurofibromatosis can be easily assessed in single sitting.

Ultrasound being a dynamic modality can also help in evaluation of conditions like ulnar nerve dislocation/ subluxation which static imaging cannot capture.