[Ultrasonic anatomy of pediatric joints]

The radiological work-up of joint injuries in young children can be very tedious due to the absent ossification of secondary ossification centers, which cannot be seen directly on plain X-ray images in this age group. Cartilaginous joint structures therefore cannot be distinguished from joint gaps using X-ray images in young children. High-resolution ultrasound scanning probes facilitate ultrasound studies of cartilaginous joint structures and growth plates in young children, thus providing a new and rewarding option for imaging of traumatic alterations of growing joints, especially in children whose secondary ossification centers have not yet undergone calcification processes. The use of ultrasound for evaluation of joint injuries avoids the shortcomings of ionizing radiation, contralateral joints can be examined for comparison, and functional dynamic studies can be obtained easily.