No abstract

Sonography can be used to differentiate full- from partial-thickness tears or tendinosis of the Achilles tendon with 92% accuracy. Undetectable tendon at the site of injury, tendon retraction, and posterior acoustic shadowing demonstrate statistically significant correlation with full-thickness tears.

Ultrasonography (US) allows detection of a variety of soft-tissue foreign bodies, including wood splinters, glass, metal, and plastic, along with evaluation of their associated soft-tissue complications. Cases were obtained from the authors' clinical experience over the past 1.5 years. Surgical correlation allowed confirmation of the presence of a foreign body and associated soft-tissue complications in all cases. All of the foreign bodies were echogenic when imaged with US. A surrounding hypoechoic rim and posterior acoustic shadowing or reverberation aided detection in several cases. Associated soft-tissue complications included a complete laceration of the posterior tibial tendon and septic flexor digitorum tenosynovitis. US allows accurate and efficient detection of radiolucent soft-tissue foreign bodies and aids assessment of their associated complications. For radiopaque foreign bodies, US can provide more precise localization and improved assessment of the surrounding soft tissues. US has emerged as the study of choice for detection and localization of radiolucent soft-tissue foreign bodies and can aid assessment of their associated complications.

No abstract

Sonography demonstrates low accuracy in the diagnosis of soft-tissue lipomas.

Several entrapment neuropathies of the upper extremity can cause hypoechoic swelling and nerve compression as seen at ultrasound. The ulnar nerve can be compressed at the cubital tunnel of the elbow and Guyon's canal at the wrist. The deep branch of the radial nerve can be compressed at the supinator muscle at the elbow, and the superficial radial nerve may be compressed at the dorsal wrist (Wartenberg's syndrome). In addition to compression at the carpal tunnel, the median nerve may be compressed at the elbow, related to a supracondylar process or by the pronator teres. Knowledge of these key anatomical sites of potential nerve compression is essential for accurate diagnosis of entrapment neuropathies.

Initial experience with the use of dynamic sonography of the elbow for diagnosing ulnar nerve dislocation and snapping triceps syndrome is reported. Cases of three consecutive patients who underwent sonographic evaluation of the elbow and subsequent open elbow surgery for symptomatic ulnar nerve dislocation were reviewed. Dynamic sonography of the elbow was used to aid in the accurate diagnosis of and differentiation between ulnar nerve dislocation and snapping of the medial triceps muscle.

Identification of fluid between the semimembranosus and medial gastrocnemius tendons in communication with a posterior knee cyst indicates Baker's cyst with 100% accuracy.