Ultrasound imaging is a noninvasive study that helps physicians diagnose and treat medical conditions. Ultrasound, also known as sonography, uses high frequency sound waves (that cannot be heard by the human ear) to produce pictures of the inside of the body. When sound waves strike an object, they rebound or “echo.” These echo waves can describe the size, shape, location and consistency of an object by recording tiny changes in the sound’s pitch and direction. Because ultrasound images are captured in real-time, they show both the structure and the movement of the body’s internal structures. Specifically, musculoskeletal ultrasound provides pictures of the body’s muscles, nerves, tendons, ligaments, joints and soft tissues.
The ultrasound machine consists of a computer, a video display screen and a transducer. The transducer is a small hand-held device that emits high frequency sound waves and then records the echoes returning from the tissue under study. The sound waves are not toxic in any way. The ultrasound image is immediately visible on a video display screen, enabling the patient to see image as well. For ultrasound guided injections, the patient can chose to watch the needle placement. One or more frames of the moving pictures are typically captured as still images for the patient’s record.
Advantages of Musculoskeletal Ultrasound:
1. It enables patients to see the images as they form
2. It is brief
3. It is not uncomfortable, as an MRI or CT scan can be
4. It has no radiation exposure, as with CT scans and x-rays.
5. It produces cross-sectional (2-plane) images
6. It visualizes soft tissue well, unlike x-rays and CT scan
7. It is cost effective
8. It can view both static (still) and dynamic (moving) images
Common uses of Musculoskeletal Ultrasound
•Tendon tears, such as tears of the rotator cuff in the shoulder or Achilles tendon in the ankle.
•Abnormalities of the muscles, such as tears and soft-tissue masses.
•Bleeding or other fluid collections within the muscles, bursae and joints.
•Small benign and malignant soft tissue tumors.
•Early changes of rheumatoid arthritis
What is involved in a Musculoskeletal Ultrasound guided injection?
Ultrasound is painless, fast and easy. Dr. Stein applies a clear water-based gel to the part of the body being studied to help the transducer make secure contact with the body and then presses the transducer on the skin in various angles, around the area of interest to visualize the area of concern. She may have you move the joint being study to better visualize its internal structure. She then uses the images to guide the needle to ensure its proper placement. There is usually no discomfort from the transducer, however if scanning is performed over an area of tenderness, you may feel pressure from the transducer.