Basic Musculoskeletal Ultrasound

Erin Chew; Alvin Lee Day; Levon N Nazarian; Minna Kohler

doi:10.1016/j.mcna.2024.06.007

Basic Musculoskeletal Ultrasound

Med Clin North Am. 2025 Jan;109(1):137-161. doi: 10.1016/j.mcna.2024.06.007. Epub 2024 Aug 3.

Authors

Erin Chew¹, Alvin Lee Day², Levon N Nazarian³, Minna Kohler⁴

Affiliations

¹ Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Rheumatology and Immunology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, 1161 21st Avenue South, T-3113 Medical Center North, Nashville, TN 37232-2681, USA.
² VA Hospital, Bone Health Clinic, Prisma Senior Specialty Care, 3010 Farrow Road, Suite 300, Columbia, SC 29203, USA; University of South Carolina School of Medicine, Wm. Jennings Bryan Dorn VA Medical Center, 6439 Garners Ferry Road, Columbia, SC 29209, USA.
³ Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, 3737 Market Street. Mailbox #4, Philadelphia 19104, PA, USA.
⁴ Rheumatology Musculoskeletal Ultrasound Program, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, 55 Fruit Street, Yawkey 4B, Boston, MA 02114, USA. Electronic address: [email protected].

PMID: 39567090
DOI: 10.1016/j.mcna.2024.06.007

Abstract

An increasing number of indications are emerging for point-of-care ultrasound to diagnose and treat musculoskeletal complaints. Low cost, dynamic imaging, immediate results, and added advantage of portability have made ultrasound an important imaging modality in urgent care, emergency department (ED), and other musculoskeletal care clinics. This article reviews the use of musculoskeletal ultrasound to help evaluate articular and periarticular structures to evaluate for mechanical injuries and inflammatory arthritis.

Keywords: Arthritis; Enthesitis; Erosions; Joint; Tendinopathy; Tendon tear; Tendonitis; Tenosynovitis.

Publication types

Review

MeSH terms

Humans
Musculoskeletal Diseases* / diagnostic imaging
Musculoskeletal System / diagnostic imaging
Point-of-Care Systems
Ultrasonography* / methods