The Use of Ultrasound Images in Manual Therapy and Additionally in Assessment of Shoulder Impingement Syndrome

The use of the ultrasound imaging (USI) in physiotherapy is becoming increasingly common but is highly operator dependent and there are safe and professional issues regarding its practical use. Currently there are no specific training guidelines relating to physiotherapists using USI. The use of ultrasound technology for medical applications began in the 1950s and has proven to be an effective, safe, non-invasive, and relatively inexpensive tool for assessing morphologic characteristics and structural integrity of visceral organs and soft tissues. The use of ultrasound to assess muscle morphology and guide rehabilitation decision-making in physical therapy practice can be traced back to the late 1960s and has been found to be reliable and valid for specific muscles during particular movements. Over the last decade there has been rapid development of this technique with increased use both by clinicians and researchers. This method is defined in literature with the denomination of Rehabilitative Ultrasound Imaging (RUSI). In this work we will see how RUSI could be of help in the evaluation of shoulder impingement syndrome (SIS).