Conclusions
Ultrasound provides a safe, cost-effective, and reliable technique to assess knee OA. Ultrasonography is more sensitive than clinical examination and plain radiography in recognition of important abnormalities prevalent in knee OA. It is an excellent tool not only to recognize the bony profile but also to visualize the soft tissues, helping the rheumatologist to determine the type and extent of these structural damages. The semiquantitative ultrasonographic grading system has been validated and will be valuable in monitoring disease progression. Ultrasonography also has the potential to further clarify the role of soft tissues and provide new insights in the disease genesis, pathology, progression, and prediction of OA. However, the long learning curve is still an important limitation to be overcome for widespread application of US in routine clinical practice.
There was no financial support for this study.
J Clin Rheumatol. 2016;22(6):324-329. © 2016 Lippincott Williams & Wilkins
