Diagnostic Musculoskeletal Ultrasound

An ultrasound is a safe and painless test that uses sound waves to make images of soft tissue structures such as muscle, ligaments and tendons. In addition, though ultrasound cannot image through bone it is useful for imaging the periphery of joints for finding of osteoarthritis or inflammatory arthrides such as rheumatoid or gout.

The ultrasound will take between 15 and 45 minutes. Your prescription will identify the structures we will image. At you doctor’s request dynamic imaging may be performed.

What to expect during the procedure:

You will be asked to remove any clothing covering the area to be imaged. If you need to remove any clothing you will be given a gown to wear.
The exam room is usually dark so the images can be seen clearly on the computer screen.
The technician will then move a small wand (transducer) over the area to be imaged. A warm, clear gel will be placed between the transducer and the skin to facilitate the transmission of the sound waves into and out of the body.
You may be asked to move into different positions to facilitate imaging different structures.
Images may be obtained while you move.

Preparation