Common applications of musculoskeletal ultrasound in the Emergency Department

Ultrasound is extremely well suited to evaluating the extremities in patients who have been injured. It can also be used in other emergency department situations, such as to evaluate acutely painful conditions, including fluid collections, infections, and foreign bodies. In situations where conventional radiography is not available, including trauma scenes and mass-casualty situations, or at the bedside in the setting of unstable trauma, the decreasing size and cost of portable sonographic equipment make it a first-line choice for evaluation of the extremities. This article describes many of the common applications of ultrasound in the emergency room setting.