A Guide to Ultrasound of the Shoulder, Part 3: Interventional and Procedural Uses.

Ultrasound is an extremely useful diagnostic tool for physicians, but recent advances have found that ultrasound's greatest utility is in interventional and procedural uses. Numerous studies have demonstrated a significant improvement in outcome and patient satisfaction when using ultrasound guidance for injections. Newer techniques are emerging to use ultrasound as an aid to surgery and interventional procedures. This allows the physician to use smaller incisions and less invasive methods, which are also easier to use for the practitioner and more cost-effective.