Introduction

Ultrasound can be a quick, readily available and accurate technique for musculoskeletal evaluation, especially for many common joint and tendon injuries. Like any other modality, there is a learning curve to understand the imaging appearance of anatomic structures and how that normal appearance alters with pathology. Also, learning to perform the studies may initially seem problematic. However, by using preexisting radiological knowledge of musculoskeletal anatomy and pathology, combined with a few simple pointers, diagnosis with ultrasound can be quickly mastered for many common findings. On the other hand, students of musculoskeletal ultrasound will not find the field to be an easy one if they lack knowledge of the complex anatomy and pathology of the musculoskeletal system and are not willing to learn the basic skills of ultrasound analysis.

In this tutorial, the basic sonographic appearance of normal anatomy and pathology will be reviewed for the elbow, knee and ankle. It is assumed that the readers have ready access to a good textbook or atlas of musculoskeletal anatomy and that they have an understanding on the basic principles of ultrasound technique. This is neither an introductory manual to scanning techniques nor a comprehensive review of potential pathology. If the reader is interested, attending workshops and courses in musculo-skeletal ultrasound with supervised scanning will greatly enhance the mastery of this material.

Catherine Brandon, MD, Michelle Lybrand, RDMS, Joseph Craig, MD, Marnix van Holsbeeck, MD
Department of Radiology
Henry Ford Hospital
Detroit, Michigan

Visit the full article on the GE Healthcare website!