[Echography of the musculoskeletal system]

The recent, highly efficient and simple systems have enabled ultrasound to find a specific place in the imaging of the musculoskeletal system within a few years. The daily "on-site" examination currently completes plain radiographs with a particularly effective, non-traumatic and cheap exploration of a number of pathological cases, including traumatic musculotendinous lesions and periarticular soft tissue. After describing the normal images and the semiology of the major diseases for which this technique can be used, the author reviews the appearance of the main regional osteoarticular lesions (shoulder, hip, knee, extremities, etc.), with ultrasound.