Ultrasound is a non-invasive and painless way of using ultrasound waves to visualize human musculoskeletal anatomy. The technology works on the principle similar to that used in sonar systems for submarine navigation and echolocation like the bats use to “see” surroundings.
Ultrasound has many clinical applications, from helping rheumatologists diagnose rheumatoid arthritis, gout arthritis, tendon tears to guiding therapeutic interventions, e.g. intra-lesional steroid injection. Musculoskeletal ultrasound (MSUS) allows rheumatologists to high resolution to see joints, tendons, entheses, and muscles. That’s why it is coined as “A rheumatologist’s stethoscope”.
A few rheumatologists from various hospitals joined to form the early MSUS interest group. They shared knowledge and skill through several group practices. The first local ultrasound course was held in a public hospital, Pamela Youde Nethersole Eastern Hospital with the support of the Society, in July 2009. We invited overseas speakers including Dr Richard Wakefield from United Kingdom and Dr Peter Balint from Hungary. After that, we had our regular local ultrasound courses. Each year, we invited one to two renowned overseas speakers with rich experience in MSUS, Prof Walter Grassi from Italy, Dr Kong Kok Ooi from Singapore, Dr David Kane from Ireland, Dr Ingrid Moller from Spain, Dr Anwar Arshad from Malaysia and Dr Chi-Chen Chang from Taiwan.
In 2015, the ultrasound interest group made a bold decision, that is, to organize the first EULAR endorsed Basic Ultrasound Course with the support from The Hong Kong Society of Rheumatology. MSUS SIG was officially formed under the umbrella of The Hong Kong Society of Rheumatology of Education and Research Foundation in 2016.
In the same year, we jointly organized the second EULAR endorsed Basic Ultrasound Course with China Rheumatology Association in Shanghai as the pre-APLAR congress ultrasound course in 2016. In the subsequent year, we pursued the EULAR endorsed Intermediate Ultrasound Course, which turned out to be a successful one. The teachers comprised 6 EULAR faculty and our local tutors with Level 2 EULAR Competency Certificate to teach MSUS.
Diagnostic or interventional ultrasound scanning improves with the experience of the sonographer and the sophistication of the machine. The future technology development in ultrasound machine is splendid, e.g. 3D, 4D probes, point-of-care ultrasound. With the incorporation of MSUS curriculum in rheumatology training since July 2021, the MSUS SIG will continue to play a significant role in refining ultrasound skills and experience among our young rheumatologists.
