Musculoskeletal Sonography in Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine: Results of the First Worldwide Survey Study

Objectives: To explore the current status of musculoskeletal ultrasound (MSUS) in the realm of physical medicine and rehabilitation (PMR), and to determine the effects of a 1-day MSUS course on the awareness of physiatrists.

Design: Survey.

Setting: International Society of Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine Congress, 2009, Istanbul.

Participants: Physiatrists attending the congress (n=276) and the MSUS course (n=30).

Intervention: Not applicable.

Main Outcome Measures: The survey contained 17 multiple-choice and open-ended questions concerning personal background, perceptions regarding MSUS, and current use of MSUS. Additionally, a group of physicians who attended the 1-day MSUS course before the congress were evaluated twice (before and after the course) to assess the change in their awareness.

Results: Data from 306 physiatrists (with a mean experience of 10.5+/-8.1 y in the field of PMR) were evaluated. Among the participants, 57.8% were using MSUS in their diagnostic algorithms, 90.4% were thinking that physiatrists should perform sonography themselves, and 75.1% declared that they would perform sonography if they had a device. The ratio of subjects who rated MSUS to be essential for their clinical practice increased from 35.7% to 58.6% after the MSUS course (P>.05).

Conclusions: Physiatrists strongly believe that they should perform MSUS themselves, lack of education and lack of device seem to be important issues to be addressed, and even a 1-day course significantly changes awareness of MSUS.