Introduction to Medical Ultrasound

Question 1

Uses safe sound waves and no radiation to allow visualization of the inside of the body

Answer 1

Ultrasound

Question 2

Emitting sounds and listening to the returning echos to locate objects or navigate

Answer 2

Echolcation

Question 3

A computer programmed to transform sound echos into images

Answer 3

Ultrasound machine

Question 4

Ultrasound machine has piezoelectric crystal that vibrates to create sound waves and works in the

Answer 4

1-20 MHz range

Question 5

Consists of a head with footprint, connector to make sound waves, and a wire

Answer 5

Ultrasound transducer

Question 6

Must be in contact with the body mucus membrane

Answer 6

Transducer probe

Question 7

Assists sound waves to travel through the body cleanly

Answer 7

Gel

Question 8

Different transducers emit sound at different frequencies allowing varying degrees of

Answer 8

Sound penetration

Question 9

Increases resolution at the expense of penetration

Answer 9

Increasing frequency

Question 10

Have a higher frequency (10-18 MHz) and are used for musculoskeletal, soft tissue, and superficial analysis

Answer 10

Linear transducer

Question 11

A linear transducer works well up to about

Answer 11

6 cm penetration

Question 12

Lower frequency transducers used on the abdomen and for deeper structures

Answer 12

Curvilinear or convex transducer

Question 13

Has better penetration than a linear transducer, but worse resolution

Answer 13

Curvilinear transducer

Question 14

What has a wider field of view, linear or curvilinear transducers?

Answer 14

Curvilinear

Question 15

Has a wide beam and a lower frequency. Helps to guide beams through windows such as the ribs

Answer 15

Sector (phased array) transducer

Question 16

Sector transducers are used for

Answer 16

Cardiac stuff

Question 17

Give a rectangular image

Answer 17

Linear transducers

Question 18

What are the characteristics of B mode ultrasound?

Answer 18

2d spectra of shades of grey

Bright echos = more reflective tissues

No echos = not reflective (i.e. fluids)

Question 19

Can be used to detect real time motion

Answer 19

B mode Ultrasound

Question 20

Weak or low echo

Answer 20

Hypoechoic

Question 21

Bright echo

Answer 21

Hyperechoic

Question 22

No echo or blackness

Answer 22

Anechoic

Question 23

Equal echogenicity between 2 structures

Answer 23

Isoechoic

Question 24

Ultrasound mode where red color indicates TOWARDS transducer and blue indicates AWAY from transducer

Answer 24

Doppler ultrasound

Question 25

Doppler ultrasound is helpful in evaluating

Answer 25

Cardiovascular structures

Question 26

5x more sensitive than doppler and is used to evaluate tumors or tendons

Answer 26

Power doppler

Question 27

Used for low flow, and is one directional

Answer 27

Power doppler

Question 28

What four things can happen to sound waves emitted from transducer?

Answer 28

1. ) reflection back to transducer 2. ) refraction 3. ) scatter 4. ) Attenuation

Question 29

Travel further and are LESS attenuated

Answer 29

Lower frequency waves

Question 30

Used for deeper structures. Less resolution

Answer 30

Lower frequency waves

Question 31

Used for superficial structures. Better resolution

Answer 31

Higher frequency waves

Question 32

Artifacts occur because of normal physics of sound waves. One example of an artifact in ultrasound is

Answer 32

Anisotrophy

Question 33

Change in echogenicity of a structure dependent on angle of beam relative to that structure

Answer 33

Anisotrophy

Question 34

A 3-7 degree change in the probe position may drastically change the

Answer 34

Echo

Question 35

The order of anisotrophic structures is

Answer 35

Tendon > ligament > nerve

Question 36

Current resolution for ultrasound is 200-450 um. It can detect foreign bodies as small as

Answer 36

0.5 mm

Question 37

Ultrasound can even be used to detect

Answer 37

Non-radiopaque structures

Question 38

On an ultrasound machine, the gain button controls

Answer 38

Brightness

Question 39

Each musculoskeletal component (i.e. muscle, tendon, bone, cartilage, etc) has its own unique

Answer 39

Echosignature

Question 40

In the sagital plane of muscle ultrasound, hypoechoic bundles are

Answer 40

Fibers/fasicles

Question 41

In the sagital plane of muscle ultrasound, hyperechoic septae are

Answer 41

Fibroadipose and perimysium

Question 42

Gives a multipennate pattern, like leaves on a leaf

Answer 42

Sagital muscle ultrasound

Question 43

Gives an ultrasound that looks somewhat like starry night

Answer 43

Transverse muscle ultrasound

Question 44

Non-compressible, non-vascular structures that connect muscle to bone

Answer 44

Tendons

Question 45

Tightly packed and hyperechoic. Best viewed using sagital ultrasound

Answer 45

Tendon

Question 46

In a transverse ultrasound of a tendon, what type of pattern do we see?

Answer 46

Bristle pattern, like the end of a broom

Question 47

Compact packed fibrillar structure that often covers a capsule/joint to connect bone to bone

Answer 47

Ligament

Question 48

Ligaments are usually imaged in what plane?

Answer 48

Sagital

Question 49

Are ligaments vascular?

Answer 49

No

Question 50

Ligaments can be hyper- or hypoechoic depending on

Answer 50

Surrounding structures

Question 51

Gives a hyperechoic pattern with posterior shadows

Answer 51

Bone

Question 52

Hypo-anechoic structures typically located at synovial joints -pressure sensitive

Answer 52

Bursae and Synovia

Question 53

What type of echo does hyaline cartilage give off?

Answer 53

Hypoechoic with uniform thickness

Question 54

Lines bones and is non compressible with uniform thickness

Answer 54

Hyaline cartilage

Question 55

What type of echo does fibrocartilage give?

Answer 55

Hyper/hypo echoic. Like salt and pepper

Question 56

In the sagital plane, which part of nerves show up as 1. ) hypoechoic 2. ) hyperechoic

Answer 56

1. ) Fasicles | 2. ) Epineurium

Question 57

In the short/transverse plane, nerves give what type of ultrasound?

Answer 57

A follicular pattern like a honeycomb

Question 58

Are round and anechoic in the transverse plane

Answer 58

Vessels

Question 59

In the longitudinal section, vessels appear as

Answer 59

Anechoic tubes

Question 60

What method of ultrasound is great for vessels?

Answer 60

Doppler

Question 61

Allows us to see the body in motion so we can correlate movements with pain and pathology of a structure

Answer 61

Dynamic Imaging

Question 62

A valuable tool for many procedures such as a central line or joint aspirations because it allows for great accuracy while decreasing much of the risk

Answer 62

Needle Visualization

Question 63

Describes how the beam loses energy as tissues absorb sound

Answer 63

Attenuation