title: The role of ultrasound in the evaluation of sports medicine injuries of the upper extremity.
abstract: The two major imaging modalities used for assessment of soft tissue injuries are ultrasound and MRI. Although ultrasound of the extremities is used only to a limited extent in the United States, it is widely used in many other countries for evaluation of extremity injuries. This article first considers the advantages and disadvantages of MRI and ultrasound. Understanding these differences will help the reader understand the role of ultrasound as compared with MRI in evaluating upper extremity injuries. The uses of ultrasound for evaluating sports medicine injuries in specific regions of the upper extremity are then reviewed. Where the data are available, the reported accuracy of ultrasound is compared with MRI for each type of injury.
authors.affiliation: Division of Musculoskeletal Radiology, Department of Radiology, University of Wisconsin Clinical Science Center, 600 Highland Avenue, E3/311 CSC, Madison, WI 53792-3252, USA. r.kijowski@hosp.wisc.edu
authors.forename: Richard
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kijowski
authors.forename: Arthur A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: De Smet
mesh_terms: D001265:Athletic Injuries / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D004551:Elbow Joint / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D006225:Hand / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D006230:Hand Injuries / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D006801:Humans; D008023:Ligaments, Articular / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000293:injuries; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D000070599:Shoulder Injuries; D012785:Shoulder Joint / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D013708:Tendon Injuries; D013710:Tendons / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D014463:Ultrasonography; D034941:Upper Extremity / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000293:injuries; D014954:Wrist Injuries / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D014955:Wrist Joint / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D000092464:Elbow Injuries