Ultrasound-guided Therapeutic Interventions around the Shoulder

A number of interventional procedures such as arthrocentesis (aspiration of joint fluid), drainage of soft-tissue collections, steroid injections, tumor biopsy, removal of foreign bodies, and administration of regional anesthesia are nowadays being routinely performed percutaneously under the sonographic guidance. The ultrasound has replaced the conventional blind and fluoroscopic interventional techniques when performing such procedures as it is more accurate, allows real time evaluation and is also free from the radiation hazards to both the patients and the medical personnel. A series of procedures around the shoulder joint such as, injecting therapeutic agents into subacromial bursa, rotator cuff tendons, biceps tendon, acromioclavicular joint and percutaneous treatment of calcifying tendinitis, which are safe and reasonably simple to perform in the outpatient setting under the sonographic guidance will be briefly described in this article. The purpose of these procedures is to drain out inflammatory fluid collections and / or to inject therapeutic agents to control inflammation and promote healing.