Advances in Lower Extremity Ultrasound

Diagnostic ultrasound techniques used in the evaluation of the musculoskeletal system are rapidly evolving. Conventional B-mode and Doppler ultrasound imaging methods are workhorses in the diagnosis and treatment decision making for traumatic and pathologic conditions of joints, tendons, muscles, ligaments, and peripheral nerves. Recently developed sonoelastography techniques enable the qualitative and quantitative evaluation of the material properties of musculoskeletal tissues. The recent availability of sonoelastography on clinical machines will facilitate its progressive utilization in routine clinical practice. Exciting new developments in ultrasound imaging enable real-time fusion with imported magnetic resonance or computed tomography images, facilitating ultrasound-guided interventional procedures and teaching of ultrasound anatomy to trainees. In this review article, the authors discuss new advances in sonoelastography of the lower extremity with emphasis on shear wave imaging and briefly the exciting features of ultrasound fusion imaging with computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging. © 2015, Springer Science+Business Media New York.