Scholarlink

Purpose of Review <p>This review summarizes current knowledge on stress ultrasonography (sUS) for evaluating and managing medial ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) injuries in overhead athletes, focusing on technical considerations, clinical applications, and its potential role in decision-making and return-to-sport planning.</p> Recent Findings <p>sUS offers dynamic, functional assessment of UCL integrity and shows diagnostic accuracy comparable to MRI. Longitudinal studies associate increased gapping, hypoechoic foci, and decreased elasticity to elevated injury risk and reduced performance. Postoperative UCLs appear thicker and gap less on sUS compared to native ligaments. Variability in sUS techniques and thresholds have limited standardization. Emerging modalities like shear wave elastography (SWE) and shear wave velocity (SWV) quantify ligament stiffness, potentially differentiating adaptive from pathologic changes.</p> Summary <p>sUS is a promising tool in UCL injury prevention, diagnosis, and rehabilitation. Standardization and further research are needed to define its role in risk prediction, treatment planning, and postoperative evaluation.</p>

错误：搜索内容不能为空，请输入英文关键词
错误：关键词超出字数限制，请精简
高级检索

Review: Use of Stress Ultrasonography in the Evaluation and Management of Elbow Ulnar Collateral Ligament Injury and Insufficiency

  • 期刊论文

  • 发表日期：

    2025年11月22日

查看全文
  • Tomas F. Vega,
  • Ricardo E. Colberg,
  • Felicia Branagan,
  • J. Bryant Segars

摘要

Purpose of Review

This review summarizes current knowledge on stress ultrasonography (sUS) for evaluating and managing medial ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) injuries in overhead athletes, focusing on technical considerations, clinical applications, and its potential role in decision-making and return-to-sport planning.

Recent Findings

sUS offers dynamic, functional assessment of UCL integrity and shows diagnostic accuracy comparable to MRI. Longitudinal studies associate increased gapping, hypoechoic foci, and decreased elasticity to elevated injury risk and reduced performance. Postoperative UCLs appear thicker and gap less on sUS compared to native ligaments. Variability in sUS techniques and thresholds have limited standardization. Emerging modalities like shear wave elastography (SWE) and shear wave velocity (SWV) quantify ligament stiffness, potentially differentiating adaptive from pathologic changes.

Summary

sUS is a promising tool in UCL injury prevention, diagnosis, and rehabilitation. Standardization and further research are needed to define its role in risk prediction, treatment planning, and postoperative evaluation.