What is a Musculoskeletal Ultrasound?
Musculoskeletal Ultrasound images are typically used to help diagnose:
- Tendon tears, or tendinitis of the rotator cuff in the shoulder, achilles tendon in the ankle and other tendons throughout the body
- Muscle tears, masses or fluid collections
- Ligament sprains or tears
- Inflammation or fluid (effusions) within the bursae and joints
- Early changes of rheumatoid arthritis
- Nerve entrapments such as carpal tunnel syndrome
- Benign and malignant soft tissue tumors
- Ganglion cysts
- Hernias
- Foreign bodies in the soft tissues (such as splinters or glass)
“Ultrasound does not employ ionising radiation, and is generally painless. The advantage of ultrasound is that you can talk to the sonographer and tell them which positions cause the most pain- which even MRI does not allow you to do. The extra information adds up to help with diagnosis.”
How to Prepare for a Musculoskeletal Ultrasound?
You should wear comfortable, loose-fitting clothing for your ultrasound exam, which allows easy exposure to the area to be scanned. For example, for an ultrasound of the shoulder, wear an inner garment that allows the entire shoulder area to be examined. These studies get messy because of the ultrasound gel, and the less clothing you have in the way, the better.
If you have a cardiac pacemaker or certain metallic implants, which means that you cannot have an MRI, an ultrasound is a useful targeted way to find out if there are tendon or ligament injuries.
Our Expertise in Musculoskeletal Imaging
Our centre works with the top orthopaedic and sports doctors, as well as physiotherapists in Singapore. Your study is performed by trained sonographers, and checked by experienced musculoskeletal subspecialty radiologists. We can diagnose your problem and refer you to the most suitable specialist for treatment.
