diagnostic ultrasound

About 10 years ago imaging with diagnostic ultrasound became available for identifying muscle and tendon and ligament tears, soft tissue lesions such as cysts and general review of anatomy. Unlike an MRI it is a real time study much like an ultrasound study to visualize the heartbeat of a baby. You can actually see a tear in a tendon when you stretch the tissue. One common injury we see is plantar fasciitis. The thickness of the fascia can be measured which can help to tack swelling and progress. When the achilles tendon is scanned you can see the cross section of the tendon and find out if there is damage inside the tendon sheath. The benefit of the study is determined by the experience of the sonographer. You can see some examples at podiatricultrasound.com.