[Ultrasound examination of the shoulder--a method description].

Ultrasound examination of the shoulder in orthopaedics is not much used in Norway, but it is an established method in many institutions abroad. According to the literature, good results have been obtained with diagnostic ultrasound for demonstration of rotator cuff ruptures and abnormalities of the long tendon of the biceps muscle. In order to increase the knowledge of this diagnostic modality in Norway, we present the general principles and techniques of shoulder ultrasonography. Examples of normal and pathological ultrasound findings in the rotator cuff and long tendon of the biceps muscle are given.