Clinical History
28-year-old man with right reverse total shoulder arthroplasty and pain.
Diagnosis: Reverse Total Shoulder Arthroplasty Periprosthetic Infection with Component Loosening
Ultrasound is an excellent modality to evaluate soft tissues adjacent to and overlying prosthetic joints as it is not susceptible to the artifacts induced by metal on MR imaging.
Though ultrasound has a limited depth of penetration, superficial tissues are able to be shown in high resolution.
Ultrasound may demonstrate soft tissue abnormalities such as abscess and sinus tract extending from the joint to the skin, as seen in this case.
If hardware that should be within bone is displaced into the soft tissues, sonography can reveal this as well.
Finally, ultrasound is used to guide aspiration for laboratory analysis.