Resident Education of Ultrasound-Guided Procedures A Homemade Practice Model Pilot Study

The aim of this study was to evaluate an agar model that could be used to train physicians to perform ultrasound-guided procedures. Eleven (N = 11) physical medicine and rehabilitation residents volunteered to be subjects. All subjects completed a questionnaire about their experience and comfort with ultrasound-guided procedures. In phase 1, subjects were instructed to identify specific structures and perform specific procedures on the agar models; these tasks were timed. All subjects were then given a short lecture on fundamentals of ultrasound-guided procedures and percutaneous needle tenotomy. In phase 2, subjects then performed the same tasks again on the agar model and completed the questionnaire again. Analysis was performed using paired t tests. The number of structures successfully identified significantly increased from phase 1 (mean = 1.45) to phase 2 (mean = 2.54) (P = 0.003). Time to complete the needle access task in phase 2 (mean = 258 secs) significantly decreased compared with phase 1 (mean = 394 secs) (P = 0.04). Subjectively, our participants reported that they felt more comfortable performing ultrasound-guided procedures (P = 0.005) and felt more familiar with percutaneous needle tenotomy (P = 0.00004) after using the model. In conclusion, residents demonstrated improvement in ultrasound-guided procedural skills and reported increased comfort performing these procedures after training on the agar model

The Role of Low-Intensity Pulsed Ultrasound on Cartilage Healing in Knee Osteoarthritis: A Review

Ultrasound (US) is a therapeutic modality that has been used in the treatment of musculoskeletal conditions for decades. In recent years, there have been technological advancements using low-intensity pulsed ultrasound (LIPUS) as a clinical modality. The purpose of this review was to critically examine the medical literature to determine the effects of LIPUS on the chondrogenic properties of knee osteoarthritis. A literature search of 3 major databases (PubMed, Scopus, and EMBASE) was performed. Two independent physician reviewers screened titles and abstracts, yielding a total of 18 relevant articles after the inclusion and exclusion criteria were applied. Results favored that LIPUS has a promising effect on the cellular elements in articular cartilage, specifically on chondrocytes in knee osteoarthritis. Although the use of LIPUS is encouraging based on basic science and preclinical data, there is a paucity of evidence with respect to humans. Consequently, there is insufficient evidence to recommend for or against LIPUS in clinical OA populations. We suggest future directions for research centered on LIPUS in both human and animal models to delineate the effect on the biologic properties of cartilage in knee osteoarthritis