Musculoskeletal (MSK) sonography uses high-frequency ultrasound to image tendons, ligaments, muscles, nerves, joints, and bursae in real time. Its dynamic capabilities — allowing examination during movement — and lack of radiation make it an increasingly preferred modality for orthopedic and sports medicine imaging.
Common examinations include rotator cuff tendon assessment, Achilles and patellar tendon evaluation, carpal tunnel scanning, joint effusion detection, and guided injections into joints or bursae. Sonographers identify tears, tendinopathy, bursitis, ganglion cysts, and nerve entrapment. Dynamic scanning during joint stress reveals instability that static MRI may miss.
The ARDMS Musculoskeletal (MSK) specialty examination is available to RDMS holders. MSK sonographers work in orthopedic practices, sports medicine clinics, physical medicine and rehabilitation departments, and rheumatology offices. Demand for MSK ultrasound expertise is growing as more physicians adopt image-guided procedures.