Dynamic Ultrasound of the Foot and Ankle: Adult and Pediatric Applications

Many diagnostic tests are available to orthopaedic surgeons today. As orthopaedic surgery has developed, the quest for increasingly accurate diagnoses has led to an increase in the number and types of imaging tests that are ordered. This is particularly true in the preoperative evaluation of patients who are being considered for surgical treatment. Musculoskeletal ultrasound has been increasingly reported as a useful diagnostic test. The authors hope to highlight the unique capabilities of dynamic ultrasound imaging for the diagnosis of some orthopaedic conditions, which give it a distinct advantage over other diagnostic tests. In particular, the ability to examine an area of pathology during joint and tendon motion, and with direct palpation, makes ultrasound a uniquely powerful diagnostic tool. The ability for patients to provide immediate feedback to the examiner can markedly increase the specificity of any findings with correlation to a stated complaint.