Ultrasound-guided procedures around the wrist and hand: how to do

Abstract

Ultrasound has emerged as a low-cost, radiation-free and effective imaging technique to detect joint abnormalities and to guide percutaneous procedures. Being superficial, wrist and hand tendons and joints represent a good target to perform such procedures using ultrasound guidance. This kind of approach allows for a clear and real-time visualization of the needles during their whole path. In this setting, the knowledge of technical aspects and tips is essential to act in the most accurate way on target tissues that can be as small as a few millimetres. The aim of this review is to summarize the local treatments of inflammatory and degenerative disease described in literature (such as treatment of De Quervain's tenosynovitis, trigger finger, trapezio-metacarpal joint osteoarthritis, etc.), emphasizing precautions and tricks based on day-by-day experience that may help to improve the outcome of percutaneous ultrasound-guided procedures around the wrist and hand.

Keywords: Hand; Injections; Joint disease; Tendon disease; Ultrasound guidance; Wrist.