Nineteen Reasons Why Physiatrists Should Do Musculoskeletal Ultrasound

Abstract

This article is an eventual consensus of experts from the European Musculoskeletal Ultrasound Study Group (EURO-MUSCULUS) and the Ultrasound Study Group in Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine (USPRM) pertaining to the use of musculoskeletal ultrasound in physical and rehabilitation medicine. Nineteen important reasons (as regards general advantages, specific conditions in physical and rehabilitation medicine, as well as comparisons with other imaging tools) have been highlighted to consolidate the scenario of how/why the probe of ultrasound needs to become the stethoscope, the extended hand, and the pen of physiatrists.

Ultrasound Imaging of the Fascial Layers: You See (Only) What You Know

“…Ultrasound (US) imaging has assumed an important role in the realm of soft tissue assessments . Accordingly, sonographers have started to evaluate and quantify many (new) structures that they could not “see” before .…”

Bilateral quadriceps and triceps tendon rupture in a hemodialysis patient

“…Concerning imaging of tendon ruptures, ultrasound can be readily used with several advantages (lack of ionizing radiation, ease of use, repeatable, widely available, cheaper, high spatial resolution) . However, MRI is the most sensitive and specific modality, and also differentiates ruptures from other soft‐tissue disorders.…”

Ultrasound Imaging for Anterior Hip Pain: Hypertrophic Bursitis between the Direct Tendon of the Rectus Femoris and the Iliocapsularis Muscle

“…Based on the history and clinical findings, the patient was suspected to have a painful femoroacetabular impingement (FAI) due to overtraining and repetitive torsional movements of the hip. Before a specific rehabilitation program was perscribed, ultrasound (US) examination was planned to correctly evaluate the hip joint morphology …”