Who Uses It
Sports Medicine:
Ultrasound is an excellent tool for evaluating and treating sports related injuries. In addition to diagnostic information, prognostic information gleaned from the ultrasound assists in determining when it’s safe for an athlete to return to play. Soft tissues, such as ligaments, tendons, and nerves, are particularly well suited to real-time ultrasound imaging, but the surface features of bone are also well visualized. Dynamic stress and movement tests can be performed under ultrasound observation, clarifying the extent and severity of injuries. By palpating with the ultrasound transducer, peak regions of tenderness can be revealed, helping to focus the examination. In addition to these features, ultrasound is an exceptional tool for interacting with and educating the athlete and other interested parties, which can go a long way towards improving patient compliance.
Common sports-related applications for musculoskeletal ultrasound include evaluation of sprains, strains, nerve entrapments, guided aspirations, and injections.
