Musculoskeletal Scans/Small parts Service
Musculoskeletal scans, also known as small parts ultrasound, are specialized imaging techniques used to evaluate soft tissues, muscles, tendons, ligaments, joints, and bones. These ultrasound scans are non-invasive and can provide valuable information for diagnosing various musculoskeletal conditions.
Key Features of Musculoskeletal Scans/Small Parts Ultrasound:
Purpose:
- Evaluate soft tissue structures: To assess muscles, tendons, ligaments, and fascia for tears, inflammation, or other abnormalities.
- Assess joint conditions: To visualize joint effusions, synovitis, and other pathologies in the shoulder, elbow, wrist, hip, knee, ankle, and foot.
- Identify masses: To detect cysts, tumors, or abscesses in the soft tissues.
- Guide interventions: To assist in performing procedures like aspirations, injections, or biopsies in musculoskeletal regions.
Indications for Musculoskeletal Scans :
- Joint pain or swelling: In cases of arthritis, bursitis, or tendinopathy.
- Soft tissue injuries: To evaluate sprains, strains, and tears in muscles or tendons.
- Lumps or masses: For further evaluation of palpable soft tissue abnormalities.
- Post-injury assessment: To monitor recovery and healing after musculoskeletal injuries.
- Guidance for injections: For therapeutic injections into joints or soft tissues.
Procedure:
- Patient preparation: The patient typically lies in a comfortable position, and the area of interest is exposed. No special preparation is generally required.
- Ultrasound technique: A gel is applied to the skin to facilitate sound wave transmission. A handheld transducer is then moved over the area of interest to capture images.
- Dynamic assessment: The clinician may ask the patient to move the joint or muscle during the scan to assess for motion-related issues.
What is Assessed:
- Soft tissues: Evaluating muscles, tendons, and ligaments for tears, inflammation, or degeneration.
- Joint structures: Assessing the synovium, cartilage, and ligaments for abnormalities, such as joint effusions or synovitis.
- Fluid collections: Identifying the presence of cysts, bursitis, or other fluid-filled spaces.
- Bone surfaces: Although ultrasound is not primarily used for bone assessment, it can provide information about superficial bone surfaces and cortical integrity.