The use of ultrasound for the diagnosis and management of athletic conditions has been increasing over the past decade. Several advantages of ultrasound have been recognised. It is a non-invasive, low-cost, portable imaging technique, which may be used by practitioners and technicians with variable expertise. It is a useful point-of-care tool, used to guide the real-time management of athletes.
The expanding role of ultrasound in sports medicine has been applied to several distinct areas: cardiovascular ultrasound (echocardiogram) and its potential to prevent sudden cardiac death in young athletes, musculoskeletal ultrasound for the diagnosis of a variety of disorders and guidance of minimally invasive treatments (namely, therapeutic injections), and abdominal ultrasound in order to assess splenic enlargement and groin pain.
Ongoing research continues to identify potential areas for the application of ultrasound in sports medicine including vascular ultrasound to identify and treat thrombosis, bone quantitative ultrasound to assess for bone mineralisation, and ultrasound to determine hydration status and intravascular volume.
This module is designed to provide insight into the use of ultrasound in sports medicine.
At the end of this module participants will be able to:
