At FALL, we use the Butterfly IQ diagnostic ultrasound to help with diagnosis and monitoring right in the consulting room. This state-of-the-art device can create detailed images and videos when assessing problems like pathology of muscles, tendons, ligaments, plantar fasciitis and more.
What is ultrasound used for?
Ultrasound technology is used for several different applications in health care:
Imaging of structures inside the body (diagnostic ultrasound). Mostly ultrasound is used to image soft-tissue, but some bone features can be seen too.
Assessment of blood flow through blood vessels (Doppler ultrasound).
Treatment of injury and inflammation (therapeutic ultrasound).
We have all three types of ultrasound at FALL.
How does it work?
An ultrasound scan uses high-frequency sound waves to make an image of a person’s internal body structures. The frequency of the sound waves is very high, so that it cannot be heard.
A scan involves applying a small amount of gel to the skin over the area of interest, and then a small hand-held probe is used. The probe sends sound waves into the body and these are reflected back to the probe, which allows the image to be created. The software that comes with the Butterfly ultrasound is very sophisticated and uses artificial intelligence to assess and enhance some images.
Ultrasound examination is quick, convenient and painless.
Common uses of diagnostic ultrasound
We have three uses for diagnostic ultrasound:
Diagnosis. We can look at structures inside the foot and leg to see if they are injured, broken, inflamed or otherwise damaged in some way.
Education. Patients like to see what we are talking about when we are assessing them. Ultrasound allows us to show the patient anatomical structures in real time during the consultation.
Monitoring. Over the course of treatment, we want to see if it is working and whether the problem is getting better. We can use ultrasound in follow up consultations to monitor progress and treatment effectiveness.
Diagnostic ultrasound is a great way to enhance our ability to promptly diagnose and manage lower limb problems here at FALL.
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