Knee osteoarthritis (OA) is a common and debilitating joint disease that affects millions worldwide. It’s a degenerative type of arthritis where the cartilage, the cushioning and smoothening material between the bones in the joint, wears down, leading to pain, stiffness, and reduced mobility. Early detection and management of knee OA are crucial, as the disease…
Steroid injections are an anti-inflammatory treatment for a wide range of painful joint and soft tissue conditions. They are often used to alleviate pain in inflammatory and degenerative joint and soft tissue conditions, such as rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, bursitis, and tendinitis. This article explores what steroid injections are, how they work, and what you can…
Advantages of ultrasound Ultrasound is an excellent screening test to evaluate the painful shoulder. Often, shoulder pain comes from the soft tissues around the shoulder joint, such as the tendons and the subacromial bursa[1], which can be readily seen and evaluated during an ultrasound examination. Ultrasound is a safe technology that is based on sound…
Introduction Palpable lumps and bumps are frequently encountered. Although most of lumps are benign, the appearance of a new lump can cause worry in a patient due to the uncertainty of its nature. While many lumps can be assessed clinically by an experienced physician, there is a growing trend to increase the utilisation of imaging…
The recent advances in ultrasound technology allow it to provide excellent information regarding the soft tissues of the hand and wrist. Ultrasound is considered the first-line test for tendon and ligament injury, inflammatory arthritis, tendinitis, tenosynovitis, and lumps and bumps around the wrist and hand. It is also used to guide steroid injections and in…
In the foot, most of the structures are located superficially under the skin and are therefore easily amenable to ultrasound evaluation. Arthritis Ultrasound is a very good test to look for arthritis of the toes. Whereas X-rays only show the bony structures, ultrasound can also assess the soft tissues around the joints. It is very…
Disorders around the ankle are common, both as acute injuries and chronic disorders. Various imaging modalities are available to evaluate the ankle, including X-rays, MRI, and ultrasound. Ultrasound has the advantage of providing a dynamic assessment of the ligaments and tendons[1]. Achilles tendon rupture The Achilles tendon is the strongest tendon in the body. It…
Overview Hip pain is a common complaint with many causes. The two most common causes of pain around the hip are the hip joint itself (most commonly wear and tear), and inflammation of the greater trochanteric bursa at the side of the hip. The hip joint is deeply located in the groin area. Only the…
The knee joint is a complex structure. The stability of the knee heavily relies on strong internal ligaments (the cruciate ligaments) and ligaments around the knee (the medial and lateral collateral ligament complex). The patella (kneecap) lies in front of the knee and is part of the extensor mechanism with the quadriceps and patellar tendons,…
Ultrasound in assessing and treating the painful shoulder Introduction Ultrasound is an excellent screening test to evaluate the painful shoulder. Often, shoulder pain comes from the superficial soft tissues around the shoulder joint, such as the tendons and the subacromial bursa1, which can be readily seen and evaluated during an ultrasound examination. Ultrasound is a…