Is MSK Ultrasound Effective for Children’s Sports Injuries?

When Your Young Athlete Says, “It Hurts”

Soccer, baseball, gymnastics, dance, basketball, football, tennis—the list of activities children participate in seems endless.

And while sports are a wonderful way for children and teens to stay active, growing bodies can get injured too.

Sometimes it’s obvious—a fall, a twist, or a sudden pain during a game. Other times, a young athlete begins complaining about an ache that keeps returning after practice.

Parents are often left wondering: Is it just soreness, or is something injured?

Growing Bodies Need Special Consideration

Children and adolescents aren’t simply smaller adults. Their bones are still developing, and growth plates require special consideration when evaluating an injury.

Depending on the symptoms and suspected injury, X-rays, MRI, or another type of imaging may be necessary.

But for many accessible muscles, tendons, ligaments, bursae, and other soft tissues, musculoskeletal ultrasound can provide valuable diagnostic information.

It can be useful in evaluating certain sports-related tendon and muscle injuries, soft-tissue swelling, fluid collections, and some ligament or joint-related problems.

An Important Advantage: Real-Time Imaging

Young athletes don’t always hurt while they’re sitting still.

Maybe the shoulder hurts only when throwing a baseball. The ankle hurts during a particular movement. The knee becomes painful when bending or jumping.

MSK ultrasound allows many structures to be examined in real time and, when appropriate, during movement.

The young athlete may be asked to reproduce a movement or position that causes the symptoms, allowing us to see what is happening in the area at that moment.

And for parents, there’s another important benefit: MSK ultrasound is safe, noninvasive, and uses no radiation.

Before He Ever Picks Up the Probe

At the Center for Musculoskeletal Ultrasound, every examination begins before the ultrasound probe is ever picked up.

We start by listening—to both the young athlete and the parent. Where does it hurt? When did it begin? Was there a particular injury? Does the pain happen during one specific movement or only after practice?

Michael Jablon, an expert in musculoskeletal ultrasound, begins with a focused history and a careful physical and positional examination, looking for the movements that reproduce the symptoms and the clues the body provides. This is referred to as the Jablon Protocol. Only then does he pick up the probe, using what he has learned to guide the ultrasound examination.

The Right Imaging for the Right Injury

When there is an injury, the goal is to get the right diagnosis. For a young athlete eager to get back to the sport they love, getting the right diagnosis is an important first step toward appropriate care and a safe return to activity.