Foot Gray
2009
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Foot Gray
Diagnostic Ultrasound For The Foot And Ankle
Diagnostic ultrasound (ultrasonagraphy) is commonly used to monitor fetal development. However, the same technology can used to visualize soft tissue structures in your foot and ankle.
Ultrasound is a painless diagnostic procedure that bounces high frequency sound waves off internal organs or structures. The returning echoes provide an image. Ultrasound does not involve X-ray radiation and is safe for pregnant patients.
Common uses for ultrasound (outside of the foot and ankle) include monitoring fetal development, imaging in the pelvic or abdominal areas, thyroid, kidney, and gallbladder. When combined with the Doppler technique, ultrasound can also be used to visualize the heart and large blood vessels.
For the exam a conducting gel is applied against the skin. A transducer is used to pass sound waves through the body and capture the echoes. Images are instantly transmitted to a two dimensional monitor. The images may be printed for a radiologist or another physician to review later. An exam may take 20 to 60 minutes.
Two-dimensional ultrasound images can be difficult for patients to understand. They are usually black and white images with varying shades of gray. Some images like bone or tendons show up as a bright white (hyperechoic). Areas of inflammation or fluid show up much darker than surrounding structures (hypoechoic).
The foot and ankle may receive a lot of injury, stress, and strain. Trauma followed by swelling (inflammation) causes an influx of fluid to a particular area. When sound passes through these inflamed areas it will appear darker (hypoechoic). This principal assists in the diagnosis of many common foot and ankle conditions: heel spurs (plantar fascitis), tendonitis, bursitis, ligament strain, bone contusions, and even joint swelling.
There are also many other uses for diagnostic ultrasound in the foot and ankle. One can diagnose full or partial tears of the Achilles tendon or the plantar fascia. Soft tissue masses, fluid filled cysts, foreign bodies, and nerve entrapments (neuromas) can be visualized.
The most significant clinical use for diagnostic ultrasound may be assisting with injections and aspirations. The ultrasound machine takes away the guesswork when performing these procedures. This is extremely helpful because the joints in your foot and some soft tissue masses can be very small.
Ultrasound guided procedures can be performed in a comfortable office setting under local anesthesia (novocaine). A needle can be guided to the exact spot required for the injection or aspiration. Ultrasound guidance has been used to assist with shock wave therapy for heel pain.
About the Author
Minnesota Podiatrist Dr. Mike DeBrule treats foot problems that can cause [foot,ankle,knee,hip,back pain] using custom foot orthotics and advanced gait analysis techniques. His office is located in Marshall, Minnesota. Visit his website http://www.innovativefootcare.com/ For more videos go to http://www.youtube.com/user/InnovativeFootCare.
What should I name my new six toed, female gray cat?
I found a medium toned gray cat last week with an extra toe on each foot. It has some light orange marking on her back and a large light spot on the back of her head, closer to her left.
She's a very friendly cat that hasn't caused any trouble yet. She is small and skinny right now, but seems to love eating. She even knows how to use the litter box already even though she was a stray. She had no collar and no microchip when she was found.
Wow she sounds beautiful. I usually wait to see what the cats personality is before choosing a name.
Jane Gray (Peggy English) - Five Foot Two, Eyes of Blue (1926)
