elbow ultrasound (musculoskeletal imaging in primary care)
Last reviewed 01/2018
Elbow ultrasound
- at the elbow, olecranon bursitis, golfer's and tennis elbow and ulnar nerve cubital tunnel impingement can be demonstrated
Notes:
Ultrasound applications
- Articular pain, swelling or mechanical symptoms without definitive diagnosis
- Shoulder pain or mechanical symptoms
- Symptoms near a joint
- Regional neuropathic pain to diagnose neural entrapment
- Guiding articular/periarticular aspiration or injection
- Diagnosis and treatment assessment of synovitis
Ultrasound advantages
- Cheaper, more accessible and better tolerated than MRI
- Preferred modality for tendinopathy and muscle trauma
- As accurate as MRI in diagnosis of rotator cuff tears
- Dynamic examination and intervention possible
Reference:
- 1) Arthritis Research UK (Summer 2013). Hands on - Musculoskeletal imaging for GPs.