Patient Positioning
Patient seated in front of the examiner, hand palm up resting on a examination table.
Probe Positioning
Place the transducer on a longitudinal planes over the joints and tendons of interest. Do not use any pressure – especially while looking for effusion or using doppler mode. Use dynamic scanning to check the movement of the tendons during flexion / extension or against resistance to check the pulleys.
Note: active extension of the DIJ ist not possible. In passive examination, the tear of the central slip can be seen.
Note: An injury may rupture the tendon or pull the tendon away from the attachment at the distal phalanx. If a small piece of bone is pulled away along with the tendon, it is called an “avulsion injury”.