Sports medicine ultrasound (US) beyond the musculoskeletal system: use in the abdomen, solid organs, lung, heart and eye

Abstract

The use of point-of-care ultrasound (US) by non-radiologists is not new and the expansion into sports medicine practice is relatively young. US has been used extensively to evaluate the musculoskeletal system including the diagnosis of muscle, tendon and bone injuries. However, as sports medicine practitioners we are responsible for the care of the entire athlete. There are many other non-musculoskeletal applications of US in the evaluation and treatment of the athlete. This paper highlights the use of US in the athlete to diagnose pulmonary, cardiac, solid organ, intra-abdominal and eye injuries.

Surgeon-performed point-of-care ultrasound in severe eye trauma: Report of two cases

“…Pupil reaction can be examined by ultrasound even if the eye is closed[ 8 ]. Ultrasound may show lens dislocations, hyphaema, retinal detachment, or foreign bodies[ 4 , 6 , 9 ]. Furthermore, ultrasound may provide a reliable diagnosis of orbital fractures when studying the zygomatico-orbital complex[ 10 ].…”

“…The marker of the probe should point to the right side of the patient or upwards. Gentle examination using a high-frequency probe without pressure usually yields images which are clear enough to be evaluated[ 9 ]. This was clearly demonstrated in both of our patients.…”

Sports Ultrasound: a fundamental skill for sports medicine fellows moving forward

“…With this change, we will, over time, be able to branch out to a variety of other non-MSK diagnostic and interventional techniques/procedures for the sports medicine population. Examples are plentiful in the future as our field matures, such as learning the focused assessment with sonography for trauma (FAST) for sideline coverage emergencies, or if the literature supports it, limited cardiac echo screening 2. In addition, I see rapid development in rehabilitation programmes and in research.…”