Studies were carried out in 25 patients (mean age, 34.2 years) with knee or patellar problems, using a real‐time scanner. The contralateral leg, which was asymptomatic, was used as a control. Identification of the patellar bone and the area of insertion of the infrapatellar tendon was not difficult. The area of insertion was less echogenic than other parts of the tendon. Patchy, partial, or total ruptures could be identified using ultrasound. Sonolucent structures in cases of Baker's cyst were easily identified. The study revealed three partial suprapatellar tendon ruptures, three partial infrapatellar tendon ruptures, six old injuries of the infrapatellar tendon with fibrosis and scar tissue, one case of prepatellar bursitis, one parapatellar (cartilaginous) loose body, two intraarticular loose bodies (bony), and four cases of Baker's cyst, of which one was found to be ruptured. The differences in echogenicity of the tendons and surrounding soft tissues were more conspicuous using interposed Kiteko than with direct skin contact.

The purpose of the study was to investigate the usefulness of soft‐tissue real‐time ultrasonography (US) for diagnosing sports injuries of the Achilles region. Thirty‐eight patients (mean age, 39.9 years) with Achilles tendon problems were studied at Helsinki University Central Hospital. Six patients underwent surgery following ultrasonographic examination. All operative findings corresponded closely with those of ultrasonography. Partial ruptures were found in 11 cases, total tendon rupture in three cases, subachilles bursitis in 11 cases, and peritendinitis in 16 cases. The study showed that real‐time ultrasonography can be used reliably for examination of both tendoneal and peritendoneal injuries. The technique is recommended as a routine examination before instigating any specific treatment and for monitoring Achilles tendon injuries.

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The present study was undertaken to find a practical method for estimating the fetal shoulder width by ultrasound. Sixty pregnant women at term were included in the study. The distance between the lateral margin of the fetal cartilaginous caput humeri and the processus spinosus of the cervical vertebra C7 (humerospinous distance) was measured by ultrasound. The neonatal shoulder width was measured with a craniometer during the first postnatal day. Linear regression analysis was used to calculate the correlation between the humerospinous distance and the shoulder width, and a significant linear correlation (r = 0.612, p < 0.001) was shown. Although, in this small study, we could not show a relationship between humerospinous distance and dystocia, we feel a clinical study of humerospinous distance as a predictor of shoulder dystocia is indicated.

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