Clinical utility of ultrasonography in spondyloarthropathies.

Since the introduction of ultrasonography by Professor Ian Donald in Glasgow as a tool for imaging in medicine, it has become an important technology for imaging the musculoskeletal system. Musculoskeletal ultrasonography is a powerful adjunct to clinical examination that can detect subclinical abnormalities of soft tissues, tendons, and ligaments; it is also an important tool for the objective assessment of synovitis and bone erosion. Enthesitis, the hallmark of spondyloarthropathies, can be readily imaged using ultrasound.