Ultrasound-Guided Interventional Procedures About the Shoulder: Anatomy, Indications, and Techniques

Chronic and acute shoulder pain and dysfunction are common complaints among patients. Shoulder pain may be the result of abnormality involving the rotator cuff, subacromial-subdeltoid bursa, biceps tendon, glenoid labrum, glenohumeral joint, acromioclavicular joint, sternoclavicular joint, or glenohumeral joint capsule. Ultrasound-guided (USG) procedures of the shoulder are well established for interventional management. Ultrasound provides the advantages of excellent soft tissue resolution, injection accuracy, low cost, accessibility, portability, lack of ionizing radiation, and the ability to perform real-time image-guided procedures. The purpose of this article is to review common indications and effective techniques for USG injections about the shoulder.