Diagnostic Musculoskeletal Ultrasound for the Acute Evaluation and Management of Soccer Players.

ABSTRACT: Musculoskeletal ultrasound (US) has many applications in the care of athletes. This article reviews the current literature and identifies research gaps regarding musculoskeletal US in the athletic training room setting to evaluate and manage soccer players. The best evidence for US in the training room setting is for diagnosis and prognosis of muscle injuries, where studies show that it is equivalent to other imaging modalities. US also has been used for injury risk prediction, although the data are mixed. Many applications of US are described in other sport settings and may have crossover applications to soccer.