Other Musculoskeletal Ultrasound

Musculoskeletal (MSK) ultrasound assesses the tendons and ligaments that hold the muscles and bones in alignment. This exam also evaluates the joint spaces for fluid or inflammation that may limit joint movement. Besides the shoulder, other areas examined include:

• Achilles tendon
• Ankle joint
• Elbow joint and tendons
• Foot or toes
• Ganglion (hard bump above a tendon or in the capsule that encloses a joint)
• Hand or fingers
• Hip bursa (fluid-filled sac or saclike cavity)
• Knee joint and tendons
• Muscles or tendons (lumps)
• Plantar Fascia (sole of foot)
• Wrist/Carpal Tunnel

HOW DO I PREPARE FOR MY EXAM?

• You can expect to be at the clinic between 30-60 minutes, depending on your procedure(s) and barring any unforeseen delays.
• Please arrive 15 minutes before your appointment to allow enough time to check in with reception.
• Bring photo identification and your provincial health card.
• Take all prescribed medications as directed.
• Wear comfortable clothes.
• Please do not bring children who require supervision.
• Some MSK exams require an X-ray of the area of concern prior to the ultrasound. This allows the radiologist to correlate the soft tissue findings of the ultrasound with the bones of the joint being examined.

WHAT HAPPENS DURING MY EXAM?

• You may be asked to change into a gown for certain exams.
• Your technologist (sonographer) will ask you to lower or arrange your clothing so that the area of concern is exposed to apply gel and scan the area.
• A warm, non-scented, hypo-allergenic ultrasound gel will be applied to the area being scanned.
• The sonographer will move the transducer (probe) around the area in question to obtain images of the area of concern.
• You may be asked to lie on your side, sit, or stand to get a complete set of images from different angles.
• You may experience mild to moderate pressure while the sonographer takes the images.
• The radiologist will review the images.
• The radiologist may come into the scan room after your exam to speak to you about your results. You will then be free to leave.

WHEN WILL I GET MY RESULTS?

We do our best to have our radiologists interpret the information and forward the results to your doctor by the next business day.

HOW MUCH WILL IT COST?

This exam is covered under the Alberta and Saskatchewan Health Care Plans.