Diagnostic Ultrasound
Diagnostic Ultrasound
All Doctors Are Board Certified | In-Office Procedures | Sub-Specialized Care
All Doctors Are Board CertifiedIn-Office ProceduresSub-Specialized Care
A New Diagnostic Tool With Greater Accuracy
An X-ray was the only reliable tool for diagnosing a variety of musculoskeletal conditions for many years, visualizing bones and soft tissue. Newer technologies such as MRIs are better for a detailed diagnosis of soft tissue injuries, but they are extremely expensive and often require pre-authorization from insurers.
Patients schedule and take the test before returning to the office to review the results with their doctor, delaying the diagnosis even further. Recent advances have resulted in a new tool to assess tissue health or localize injection treatments with greater accuracy. At Umpqua Orthopedics, our new tool is musculoskeletal ultrasound.
Completely Safe and Pain Free
Musculoskeletal ultrasound includes a probe with a water-soluble gel placed on the skin near the injured area or affected joint. Ultrasound waves create real-time images of joints and the surrounding tissues. It does NOT use any radiation, only sound waves.
It is safe for pregnant women and is routinely used for fetal evaluation. Unfortunately, there are some instances in which an MRI may not be used, such as having a heart pacemaker. Fortunately, ultrasound can be safely used for those situations.
Other Uses for Diagnostic Ultrasound
Diagnostic ultrasound can evaluate a variety of soft tissue areas such as muscle, tendons, and ligaments, without the complicated process and expense needed to get an MRI. These are the most common uses for ultrasound.
- Rotator cuff tendons of the shoulder
- Tennis elbow (Lateral epicondylitis)
- Biceps tears
- Carpal tunnel syndrome
- De Quervain’s tendinitis (Thumb tendinitis)
- Knee ligaments injuries
- Hamstring muscle / tendon injuries
- Quadriceps muscle / tendon injuries
- Ankle sprains
- Achilles tendon injuries
- Plantar fasciitis
- Morton’s neuroma
- Aspiration of fluid from swollen joints
- Needle guidance for accurate injections
Limitations of Ultrasound
Ultrasound has limitations and is not suitable for all conditions. An MRI can visualize those structures, especially deeper joint structures that include:
- Glenoid labrum of the shoulder
- Cruciate ligaments (ACL and PCL) of the knee
- Meniscus cartilage of the knee
- Triangular fibrocartilage ligament cartilage complex (TFCC ) of the wrist
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