Ultrasound Imaging in Podiatry

Ultrasound technology has been used for many years in the medical community, particularly for imaging studies. For the past fifty years or so, ultrasound imaging has been used extensively in obstetrics to view the fetus. This technology has given obstetricians the ability to diagnose congenital abnormalities that may pose a risk to the mother or the child, and to obtain the viability of the fetus. While many may be familiar with this application of ultrasound, few are familiar with the wide range of imaging studies that can be performed with ultrasound technology.

Ultrasound imaging, or sonography, has a particularly useful application in podiatry. The ability for ultrasound to be used to image soft tissues such as tendons, ligaments, and muscles makes it a valuable diagnostic tool. Some of the more common applications of ultrasound imaging in podiatry include imaging tendons and ligaments to diagnose ruptures and tears, evaluating the extent of plantar fasciitis, and evaluating soft tissue abnormalities such as ganglion cysts and neuromas.

The technology can also be used to help with injections, as it gives a clear picture of exactly what structures a doctor is injecting medications into. In some cases of plantar fasciitis, for example, a patient may benefit from an injection of cortisone into the area below the plantar fascia. Ultrasound imaging allows for a guided injection, so that the medication can be placed in exactly the right area to treat the problem.

Ultrasound works by sending out sound waves at a frequency that is inaudible to the human ear. These sound waves reflect off of the structures within the body, with different densities of tissue reflecting back different amounts of ultrasound waves. This allows for a differentiation of the structures, which is then converted into an image on the screen attached to the system. This technology is also used outside of medicine as SONAR technology, particularly in the sea when measuring the distance between two points.

Ultrasound has been shown to be a safe and effective tool in medicine. Because there is no ionizing radiation involved, such as that from X-rays or CT scans, it is considered to be a very safe test. It is also a relatively simple and quick test, which can be used to evaluate soft tissue disorders in the office. When comparing it to magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), it is much quicker, and also much less expensive. While it may not be able to produce the high quality images of an MRI, the use of ultrasound technology in evaluating soft tissues is clearly quite valuable.

Central Florida Foot & Ankle Center, LLC

101 6th Street N.W.

Winter Haven, FL 33881

Phone: 863-299-4551

www.FLFootandAnkle.com