Ultrasonography for the most common pain syndromes of the lower extremity in the outpatients clinical practice

Abstract

Similarly as in the case of the upper extremity, the ultrasonography exam has been acknowledged by the radiologist, orthopaedists and rheumatologist, one of the basic imaging test in the diagnostics of the pain syndromes of the lower limb. Among the most frequent pain syndromes of the lower limb, the authors described the ones in which the involvement of the tendinous sheaths and of the synovial bursae is the main cause of the complaints. In each of the described pain syndromes, the anatomy, the basic clinical symptoms, the physical exam, the typical inflammatory and the post traumatic and degenerative changes, were described. The ultrasonography of the pain syndromes of the lower leg is worth using in the rheumatologic practice. It gives the opportunity of a quick diagnostics and of a direct evaluation during the routine consultation of a patient. It also enables a dynamic exam and the imaging of the inflammatory activity of the inflamed synovial membrane of the tendinous sheaths, of the changes in the tendons and synovial bursae. Based on the evaluation of the vessel flow in the power Doppler ( PD) method we can also monitor the course of the treat