[Ultrasound diagnosis of the locomotor system].

Improvements of ultrasound technology with knew equipments allowed enormous advances in all fields of medicine during the last years. Several conditions concerning technical equipment and training of the operator have to be fulfilled to guarantee sufficient quality of the diagnostic information obtained in musculoskeletal ultrasound, Ultrasound is most commonly used in the assessment of soft tissue disease, detection of fluid collection, but can also be used to visualise structures such as cartilage and bone surfaces. Bone surface changes like erosions may be seen before they are apparent on plain x ray or even magnetic resonance imaging. Dynamic assessment of joint and tendon movements allows better understanding of the functional disorders than mainly static imaging methods. Advantages of ultrasound include its non-invasiveness, portability, relative inexpensiveness, lack of ionising radiation, and its ability to be repeated as often as necessary, making it particularly useful in the monitoring of treatment. Guidance of diagnostic aspiration, biopsy and injection treatment improves quality and security of these interventions. Newer ultrasound techniques including colour and power Doppler imaging, as well as bubble contrast agents and three dimensional reconstructions are promising tools for the future.