July 2024 -MSK Memo

🗞️ Ultrasound Application News

Discover how handheld bedside ultrasound advances shoulder dislocation evaluation in our latest blog post.  This case study demonstrates how real-time POCUS can improve diagnostic accuracy, enhance patient safety, and streamline care in sports medicine, orthopedics, and family medicine. Read more on our blog!

📚 Case Study: 60-year-old Male Presents with Painful Swelling in Left Wrist

Take a look at this ultrasound case study!

• 60-year-old male
• Presents with painful swelling in his left wrist

In this ultrasound clip, we examine the radiocarpal joint for signs of joint effusion. Moving the probe from proximal to distal, you can see the distal radius, the lunate bone, and the radiocarpal joint. We notice an anechoic fluid collection in the radiocarpal joint, which should normally be there, indicating the presence of a pathologic joint effusion.

In the second part of the clip with Color Flow Doppler (CFD), we observe in vascular flow consistent with periarticular soft-tissue inflammation. The greyscale imaging highlights the effusion within the radiocarpal joint, and when we activate CFD, we see increased vascular flow around this fluid. This indicates that the fluid is not just simple fluid; it is associated with inflammation in the soft tissues surrounding the joint. This condition is known as periarticular soft-tissue inflammation.

👩‍⚕️ Scanning & Imaging Tips: Imaging the Knee

🔎 Scan & Seek - Fun with Physics

Keep watching below to see what the unusual subject we scanned this month was!

The image below shows an ultrasound of a pickle image on a linear probe. Notice the finely detailed resolution of the vegetable structure including the small seeds due to the use of higher frequency ultrasound (which enables improved spatial resolution). Because the density and speed of sound in the vegetable is very similar to human soft tissue, the ultrasound system is well configured to create accurate anatomical images based on speed of sound assumptions.

 🧠 Challenge Case of the Month: MSK

Case History: This 72-year-old male presents with a 3 x 4 cm oval area of localized swelling along the right margin of the vertex of his skull. This focal abnormality has not improved despite antibiotics. The patient has a history of multiple myeloma and is undergoing chemotherapy. Vitals: T=37 C BP=140/70 mmHg HR=84 RR=16 bpm

See the ultrasound below and evaluate this lesion. 👇

🔑 SonoSim Members: Don't forget that you have hundreds of Challenge Cases and that you get regular additions.  Check them out in the SonoSimulator Case Library!

💡 SonoSim Tips & Tricks

Did you know you can enhance the security of your SonoSim account with Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA)? MFA adds an extra layer of protection by requiring a second form of verification in addition to your password. Turn on MFA from the Security tab within My Account settings.
We’ve also recently expanded MFA to work with the SonoSimulator login. Previously, MFA was only prompted for web logins. Now, your MFA code will be required when logging into the SonoSimulator as well. This new update is available if you download and install the latest version of our SonoSim software. Stay safe with MFA!

😂 LOLtrasound

Credit: @snarkynurses

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