General Aspects of US-guided Musculoskeletal Procedures

Abstract

Ultrasonography (US) is a quick and non-invasive imaging modality that allows for the precise visualization of almost all soft-tissue components of the musculoskeletal system. Moreover, this modality also enables accurate guidance during interventional procedures, thus reducing the risks of complications. As US is relatively operator-dependent, an effective scanning technique is strictly correlated with the ability to delineate US appearances. If clinical knowledge is the basic requirement for any diagnostic or therapeutic process, then US-guided interventional procedures analogously require thorough knowledge of the equipment being used. Also good technical skills are needed in order to extract the maximum amount of information that can be obtained with the available equipment, while avoiding the numerous pitfalls and artifacts of this imaging modality.