Journal of ultrasound in medicine : official journal of the American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine
-
Analgesia after total hip arthroplasty is often accomplished by the fascia iliaca compartment block, traditionally performed below the inguinal ligament, to anesthetize both femoral and lateral femoral cutaneous nerves. The course of the lateral femoral cutaneous nerve below the inguinal ligament is variable as opposed to consistent above the inguinal ligament in the pelvis. In this case series including 5 patients, we demonstrate that an ultrasound-guided suprainguinal fascia iliaca approach would consistently anesthetize the lateral femoral cutaneous nerve along with anterior cutaneous femoral nerve branches and provide cutaneous analgesia after total hip arthroplasty, as shown by decreased opioid consumption.
-
In this series, we aimed to describe the sonographic findings of chondral avulsion fractures that develop concomitant with lateral ankle ligament injury in children. We performed stress sonography during a manual anterior drawer stress procedure of the ankle in 9 skeletally immature patients who had recently had a lateral ankle sprain. Echo videos were obtained through the course of treatment, and all videos were reviewed. ⋯ In contrast, the features of chondral fractures on stress sonography included abnormal motion of the chondral lesions and mobility/fluidity of hyperechoic spots along the chondral fracture site. The presence of hyperechoic spots around the chondral lesion is an important sonographic sign for diagnosing chondral fractures concomitant with ankle lateral ligament injury. Hence, we believe that stress sonography should be considered for the detection of chondral fractures concomitant with radiographically negative ankle lateral ligament injuries in skeletally immature patients with lateral ankle pain and ankle sprains, if hyperechoic spots are present in the cartilage of the distal fibula.
-
Transvaginal sonography is the first-line imaging modality used to evaluate acute female pelvic pain in the emergency setting because of its accessibility, lack of ionizing radiation, and excellent ability to identify reproductive tract disorders. Although the intent of transvaginal sonography is to evaluate the reproductive organs, imaging of adjacent pelvic structures is an important part of every transvaginal sonographic examination. Gastrointestinal, urologic, and vascular disorders incidentally scanned on transvaginal sonography may explain the pain for which the examination is being performed. In such cases, transvaginal sonography may play an important role in the diagnostic process if the clinician is aware of the transvaginal sonographic appearance of these entities.
-
Comparative Study
Greater Trochanteric Pain Syndrome: Percutaneous Tendon Fenestration Versus Platelet-Rich Plasma Injection for Treatment of Gluteal Tendinosis.
The purpose of this study was to compare ultrasound-guided percutaneous tendon fenestration to platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injection for treatment of greater trochanteric pain syndrome. ⋯ Our study shows that both ultrasound-guided tendon fenestration and PRP injection are effective for treatment of gluteal tendinosis, showing symptom improvement in both treatment groups.
-
Point-of-care ultrasound is a valuable tool with potential to expedite diagnoses and improve patient outcomes in the emergency department. However, little is known about national patterns of adoption. This study examined nationwide point-of-care ultrasound reimbursement among emergency medicine (EM) practitioners and examined regional and practitioner level variations. ⋯ A small minority of EM practitioners received reimbursements for point-of-care ultrasound from Medicare beneficiaries. These practitioners were more likely to reside in urban and academic settings. Future efforts should assess the degree to which our findings reflect either low point-of-care ultrasound use or low rates of billing for ultrasound examinations that are performed.