Knee Scan

The knee scan aims to provide a detailed assessment of the significant musculoskeletal structures in the knee using ultrasound. The knee joint is made of a number of tissues including muscles, tendons, ligaments, bones and cartilage. The knee joint is the largest weight-bearing joint in the body performing a wide range of movements including twisting, turning, and rotating. All this movement and weight bearing can cause a tremendous toll on the knee causing a great deal of wear and tear on the joint as you go through your normal daily activities. Increasing your activities, such as sports and exercise, can add to these forces. Due to the high demands placed on the knee, it is, therefore, more prone to developing injury and disease. The knee scan uses ultrasound waves to see inside the knee and look at these structures. It is a quick and painless test that is completely safe. The results of the knee scan are discussed with you following the scan.

The knee ultrasound scan can assess:

• Quadriceps tendon
• Patellar tendon
• Bursa
• Biceps femoris
• Medial collateral ligament
• Lateral collateral ligament
• Knee cushion (limited)

Knee problems and knee pain are common as the knee is a frequent point of contact during traumatic accidents, and is prone to wear and tear due to its weight-bearing nature. It is also a common site for arthritic pain. A knee ultrasound scan is a diagnostic imaging test that uses high-frequency sound waves to create images of the structures inside the knee. It can be used to evaluate the knee muscles, tendons, and other soft tissue structures. Knee injuries are common in adults, particularly among athletes such as runners. These injuries can be short-term (acute) or long-term (Chronic). Acute injuries could be caused by sudden traumatic events such as falls or accidents. Chronic injuries are usually due to repetitive microtrauma to the area, however, in some instances may also be a consequence of an acute injury.

The knee is one of the most critical joints in the body, with many structures. It is subjected to intense pressure when walking and is prone to injuries among sports personalities because of extensive use and excessive weight. One of the tools doctors use to identify structural damage to the knee is the ultrasound scan. This is mainly the case when the damage or injury affects the soft tissue of the knee.

You may need to have a knee ultrasound scan for one or more of the following reasons;

• knee injury: Foot ultrasound is commonly used to evaluate injuries such as sprains and tendonitis.
• knee pain
• Reduced knee movement
• Reduced knee stability
• Knee discomfort
• Knee Inflammation
• Knee lump
• Knee swelling to fluid
• Post-surgical complications e.g. abscess, oedema
• Check for foreign bodies such as glass or metal particles that may have lodged in the soft tissues

The primary function of a knee ultrasound is to assess certain knee conditions such as;

• Knee joint effusion is a build-up of fluid within the knee joint. It can happen for various reasons, including knee injury, knee arthritis, and meniscal injury, among others. The scan can assess the size of the effusion and determine if there is any active inflammation.
• Patellar tendinosis(Jumper’s knee): A knee ultrasound can accurately diagnose patellar tendinosis.
• The scan can also be used to assess the ligaments that run inside and outside the knee, called collateral ligaments.
• The scan can also assess baker’s cyst. The scan can confirm the diagnosis and size of the cyst and determine the suitability of ultrasound-guided aspiration.
• Assessing soft tissue lumps around the knee joint. A knee ultrasound is the first imaging choice when assessing for swelling around the knee
• Assessing a special group of tendons that run at the inner aspect of the upper leg just below the knee for Pes Anserine tendinosis and bursitis
• Assess for any liquid build-up in front of the knee cup (pre-patellar bursitis)

Besides its diagnostic value, a knee ultrasound is also vastly used in treatment. Knee ultrasound-guided treatment can help treat various conditions, such as:

• Knee joint osteoarthritis
• Patellofemoral joint
• Meniscal tears
• Baker’s cyst
• Patellar tendinopathy
• Prepatellar bursitis
• Hoffa’s fat pad impingement
• Iliotibial (IT) band friction syndrome
• Pes anserine tendinopathy and bursitis

Different treatment options and ultrasound-guided knee injections can be done under ultrasound guidance to help manage knee pain and discomfort, such as knee steroid injections, knee hyaluronic acid injections, and knee platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injections.

Our knee ultrasound scan is used to assess for common problems in the knee which can include:

• injuries to the ligaments, tendons, and cartilage
• inflammation and swelling of the knee joint
• osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis
• Baker’s cyst, which is a fluid-filled sac that can develop behind the knee
• bursitis, which is inflammation of the fluid-filled sacs that cushion the knee
• tendonitis, which is inflammation of the tendons
• gout and other types of crystal arthritis
• Sprains & Tears
• Inflammation or bursitis 
• Traumatic injury
• Fluid in the knee joint
• Jumpers knee
• Housemaid’s knee
• Prepatellar bursitis
• Infrapatellar bursitis
• Potential meniscus injury
• Restricted Movement
• Arthritis
• Iliotibial band syndrome
• Over Use Injury

The test is painless, safe, and can be done quickly. Your doctor may require a knee ultrasound scan along with other imaging tests such as an X-ray or MRI to plan the best treatment. Ultrasonography is a noninvasive imaging modality and is widely used for the assessment of the knee and knee joints. It can provide clinically useful information on a wide range of conditions affecting the knee joint, including the tendons, ligaments, muscles, synovial space, articular cartilage, and surrounding soft tissues.

Taking a private knee ultrasound has numerous benefits for you and your healthcare provider, such as:

• Knee ultrasounds provide real-time images that allow healthcare providers to get a live look at the structures surrounding the knee and acquire the information required to make the correct diagnosis.
• Besides highlighting the cause of knee pain or discomfort, the ultrasound can provide additional details like the contents and size of the swelling, lump or cyst to help ensure accurate diagnosis and treatment.
• Private knee ultrasound-guided injections help to deliver treatment to the suitable structures in the knee for prolonged relief and better treatment response.