[Is sonography justified within the framework of orthopaedics? (author's transl)]

The article discusses the possibilities of application and performance spectrum of the ultrasonic method when examining patients with space-occupying growths within the framework of orthopaedics. An analysis of 33 patients with inflammatory or neoplastic tumours showed that sonography promotes highly valuable information in respect of the presence and extension of a tumour of the soft tissues, besides supplying roughly outlined information on the structure of such tumours. Hence, sonography can supply valuable aid for the decision regarding further diagnostic measures, complementary to the basic x-ray examinations.