Musculoskeletal Ultrasound

Objectives

For this section there is no mandatory material or quiz just recommended reading, links, and other sources for the curious.

For most of us instructors musculoskeletal ultrasound is not something we usually perform in our emergency clinics on a regular basis, and we are therefor not proficient enough to be able to teach MSK ultrasound in any structured fashion. Yet – as with everything POCUS related: there is room for incorporation and improvement over time, and future iterations of this course might see MSK ultrasound becoming a larger part of the curriculum (also depending on the feedback we get).

1. Introduction

The term musculoskeletal ultrasound can sometimes, colloquially, include ultrasound guided nerve blockades and other ultrasound guided procedures (such as venous access), and also soft tissue organ diagnostics such as the thyroid organ. But for the book chapters referenced the focus is more on soft tissues in general and bones/joints.

Musculoskeletal Ultrasound: Muscles & Tendons (14 min)

[Video credit: J. Matthew Fields, M.D. Thomas Jefferson University]

Soft Tissue Ultrasound (35 min) 

[Video credit: Radiology Video]

Anisotropy (2.5 min)

[Video credit: Gulfcoast Ultrasound Institute]

2. Further Reading

Books

• • Noble. ‘Manual of Emergency and Critical Care Ultrasound’. 2nd Edition. 2011.
    • Ch. 11 Soft tissue and musculoskeletal ultrasound
  • Dawson & Mallin. ‘Introduction to Bedside Ultrasound – Vol 1’. 2013.
    • Ch. 13 Joint Injections
    • Ch. 14 Hip
    • Ch. 15 Shoulder
  • Dawson & Mallin. ‘Introduction to Bedside Ultrasound – Vol 2’. 2013.
    • Ch. 10 Soft Tissue
    • Ch. 11 Musculoskeletal Basics
  • Soni et al. ‘Point-of-Care-Ultrasound’. 2nd Edition. 2020
    • Ch. 45 Skin and Soft Tissues
    • Ch. 46 Joints