[Diagnostic ultrasound in orthopedics].

Diagnostic ultrasound of the locomotor system is indispensable in modern orthopedic diagnostic practice. Due to its harmlessness, spatial display and identification of all structures, diagnostic ultrasound has significantly improved diagnostic procedures and has become a method of choice in a number of pathologic processes. Ultrasound enables visualization of the skin, subcutaneous tissue, muscles, tendons, hematomas, abscesses, cysts, bursae of joints, to a certain extent even bones, and the processes taking place in them and how they are related to the surrounding structures. Ultrasound also enables visualization of structures and processes that could not be clearly identified before, thus making its significance in orthopedics equal to its importance in other medical specialties.