Patient Positioning
Patient seated on a revolving stool. Position one: The palmar side of the hand on the superior aspect of the iliac wing, elbow posterior. Position two: The dorsum of the hand over the opposite back pocket, which leads to an internal rotation. The supraspinatus is directed more anteriorly.
Probe Positioning
The intraarticular portion of the long head of biceps is found easily medial – rotate the probe to get its long axis. The long head of biceps and the supraspinatus tendon run in parallel. Then shift the transducer a little cranially and posteriorly over the supraspinatus tendon – this is the long axis view of the tendon. Scan the entire visible portion of the tendon.
Note: Between the supraspinatus and the deltoid muscle appears the subacromial subdeltoid bursa as a thin hypoechoic layer. Scan the lateral pouch of the subacromial subdeltoid bursa along the lateral facet of the greater tuberosity without using pressure. Dorsal to the supraspinatus tendon the infraspinatus tendon inserts at the greater tuberosity.