Probe

[Andrew Slessar]

Hi Stephen,

I noticed in a few of your forefoot assessment videos you use the hockey stick probe on the plantar surface of the foot. Especially when you are looking for a bursal-neuroma complex of assessing the plantar plate.

I have been using a L4-L20 standard GE probe but I also have a L8-18 high frequency hockey stick. Would the hockey stick be more suited for the forefoot?

Thanks!

Andrew

[Stephen Bird]

Hi Andrew,

Yes, IU am quite flexible when assessing the forefoot in terms of transducer selection.
The plantar aspect of the foot is so variable in terms of its acoustic attenuation properties that sometimes I can get away with the hockey stick, but sometimes I need a lower frequency linear array.
I will use the highest frequency transducer that the patient type allows.
Same goes with the plantar fascia, and sometimes I need a much lower frequency linear.
Like all ultrasound, using your range of available transducers as well as the various frequency options that each transducer offers will give the best outcome.

One thing I rally like about the GE product is that their frequency options available for each transducer really work and provide substantial changes in penetration and resolution characteristics so you have a lot of flexibility built into each transducer. With some of the other manufacturers, when you increase or decrease the frequency of a particular transducer it makes minimal difference to the image, which I find a bit disappointing.

Steve.

[Andrew Slessar]

Amazing, thank you!

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