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Our office has an ultrasound device which gives our doctors the ability to evaluate a variety of conditions effecting legs, ankles and feet, not unlike an MRI. While similar to ultrasound devices that are used to view babies before they are born, our device is actually smaller in size.

Here is how ultrasound works. The unit's sound head is placed over the area that needs to be imaged. The sound head puts out high-frequency sound waves that penetrate the skin and underlying tissues. As they move, some of these sound waves are absorbed into the tissue; others are reflected back to the sound head to generate the image of the tissue. The more dense or hard the tissue, the more the sound waves are reflected back and not absorbed. For example, ultrasound waves cannot penetrate bone, so they primarily are reflected back to the sound head, and various other directions. Sound waves also cannot penetrate air. Your doctor will need to apply ultrasound gel to your skin before placing the sound head to your skin, in order to obtain the finest image possible.

Ultrasound can allow your doctor to look at tendon, ligament, nerve, capsule around joints, and a whole host of other structures of interest without having to leave the office. Ultrasound is invaluable in locating objects individuals may have stepped on such as pieces of glass, wood, metal etc.