Finger Sprains, Ultrasound Anatomy, and Pathology of Finger Ligaments.

The joints of the fingers play an important role in prehension. They must accomplish both great mobility in the sagittal plane to allow the fingers to roll up and great stability to ensure the grip is both precise and firm. The collateral ligaments and palmar plates are the main passive stabilizing structures between the interphalangeal (IP) and metacarpophalangeal (MCP) joints.

Ultrasound of Lateral Epicondylitis.

Clinical findings are generally sufficient to make the diagnosis of lateral epicondylitis of the elbow. Ultrasound (US), in conjunction with standard radiography, is a simple and cost-effective way to confirm the diagnosis, and it is also useful for eliminating most differential diagnoses and guiding treatment.US analysis of the muscle bodies and tendon laminae of the lateral epicondyle muscles, starting distally at the wrist and extending up to the lateral epicondyle, assists in understanding the complex fibrous architecture of the proximal tendons inserting on the lateral epicondyle.

Lumbar muscle involvement in the occurrence of osteoporotic vertebral fracture.

Objective: To determine if a lumbar musculature deficiency (paravertebral - PVM - and psoas - PM - muscles) is associated with a higher prevalence of vertebral fractures in osteoporotic patients.

Methods: To constitute the fracture group, data were collected retrospectively from patients with one or more recent osteoporotic vertebral fractures between T10 and L5 such as non-injected computerized tomography (CT), dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA). A control group was made by matching the patients on age, bone mineral density measured by DXA and gender.

Assessment of whole-body muscle MRI for the early diagnosis of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis.

Objectives: To evaluate muscle signal abnormalities on whole-body muscle MRI with T2 and diffusion-weighted imaging in early ALS stages.

Methods: 101 muscles were analyzed in newly diagnosed ALS patients and healthy controls on a whole-body MRI protocol including four-point T2-Dixon imaging and diffusion-weighted imaging (b0 and b800). Sensitivity and inter-observer agreement were assessed.