Neuromuscular Ultrasound: A New Tool in Your Toolbox.

ABSTRACT

Neuromuscular ultrasound is a rapidly evolving technique for diagnosing, monitoring and facilitating treatment of patients with muscle and nerve disorders. It is a portable point-of-care technology that is non-invasive, painless and without ionizing radiation. Ultrasound can visualize muscle texture alterations indicating dystrophy or denervation, changes in size and anatomic continuity of nerve fascicles, and its dynamic imaging capabilities allow capturing of contractions and fasciculations. Ultrasound can also provide real-time guidance for needle placement, and can sometimes make a diagnosis when electromyography is not tolerated or not informative anymore. This review will focus on the technical and practical aspects of ultrasound as an imaging technique for muscles and nerves. It will discuss basic imaging principles, hardware and software setup, and provide examples of ultrasound use for visualizing muscle and nerve abnormalities with accuracy and confidence. The review is intended as a practical "how-to" guide to get started with neuromuscular ultrasound in daily practice.