I had the opportunity to visit with Dr. Neil Jones, who is a University Professor at the University of California Los Angeles and Past President of the American Society for Surgery of the Hand.
The use of ultrasound to evaluate musculoskeletal structures was first reported in 1958. Since then, its use has grown exponentially, particularly in the office setting. Ultrasound enables physicians to reliably visualize soft tissue structures including muscle bellies, tendons, ligaments, arteries, and nerves, as well as identify any pathologic changes within these structures.
The use of ultrasound has several advantages, including the relatively lower cost compared to other imaging methods and the absence of ionizing radiation. For example, MRI’s take 30-45 minutes to perform at a specific imaging facility. Ultrasound is a repeatable, noninvasive imaging modality that is capable of providing real-time dynamic tissue assessment in a matter of minutes. In addition, ultrasound can be used to quickly compare the affected and contralateral sides when necessary.
Ultrasound has also been as an imaging guide for intra-articular or soft-tissue injections to help improve accuracy. Using ultrasound guidance, a physician can directly visualize an injection needle’s path and the immediate structures around it, thereby minimizing the risk of injury to adjacent nerves or blood vessels.
Additionally, multiple studies have shown that use of ultrasound increases the accuracy of needle placement for injections. Our office has ultrasound capability for evaluating musculoskeletal structures and for performing ultrasound guided injections.
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I had the opportunity to visit with Dr. Neil Jones, who is a University Professor at the University of California Los Angeles and Past President of the American Society for Surgery of the Hand.
I was inspired by listening to this interview between Jennifer Aziz and Billy Jean King, the legend, the social activist tennis champion, founder of the Women’s Team Tennis Association, World Team Tennis and many other organizations.
I had the great pleasure of attending an event at San Francisco City Hall on July 11th, 2019 commemorating Glady Thatcher’s 90th birthday.
I had some nice opportunities to interact with the UCSF Department of Orthopedic Surgery this year.
I had the pleasure of attending the Bradford Eaton Memorial Lecture and the Scientific Session on April 27th-28th at the Roosevelt Hand to Shoulder Center on Madison Avenue in midtown Manhattan.
Dr. Diao, I am writing to thank you and your team for the expert skill and extra care in repairing my twice fractured index finger several years ago, and to provide you with an update on my fencing adventures.