Musculoskeletal ultrasonography of the lower extremities in infants and children

Abstract

Ultrasonography is a powerful diagnostic imaging tool for evaluating lower extremity anatomy and pathology in children. Indications for pediatric musculoskeletal lower extremity sonography include developmental dysplasia of the hip, hip joint sonography for the child with a painful hip, evaluation and characterization of superficial soft-tissue masses, evaluation for deep venous thrombosis, and foreign body localization, characterization and removal. This review highlights these established indications, but primarily focuses on additional US applications for evaluation of the lower extremities, including diagnosis and characterization of arthritis and monitoring of therapy, evaluation of tendon tears and muscle strain injuries, characterization of soft-tissue masses and evaluation of certain congenital abnormalities of the lower extremities. Techniques for optimal utilization of musculoskeletal US in children are also discussed.

Prevalence and clinical significance of occult fractures in children with radiograph-negative acute ankle injury

“…US does not have these limitations; it is a readily available and inexpensive method with no radiation risk. Several studies have demonstrated that US, when performed by trained and experienced operators, is an effective tool for detecting occult ankle fractures and associated soft tissue injuries in children ( Gleeson et al 1996 , Farley et al 2001 , Callahan 2013 ). In our review, we observed a good diagnostic accuracy of US for diagnosing occult ankle fractures ( Table 2 ).…”

The use of ultrasonography (US) in non traumatic musculo-skeletal disorders in infants and children

“…US is widely used in the diagnosis of hip disorders in children [2]. In developmental displasia, it is essential for establishing an early diagnosis in order to allow a prompt treatment.…”