Ultrasound

Ultrasound (US) is increasingly utilized as an imaging tool to assess the hip joint, tendon disorders, sports-related injuries and in the post-operative phase. The strength of US lies in its excellent soft tissue resolution, wide availability and lack of streak/susceptibility artifact which is often encountered in post-operative CT/MRI studies. US assessment is operator dependent. A comprehensive knowledge of normal US anatomy, scanning protocol and probe technique are prerequisites for an accurate examination. The hip scanning protocol can be divided into four sections: the anterior, medial, lateral and posterior aspects. Interrogation of the hip joint, surrounding tendons, ligament and neurovascular structures in each section is essential. This chapter outlines the examination technique and normal US appearance of the hip region.