Ultrasound-Guided Infiltration | Specialists and Information

If a patient is in pain, a doctor can administer an injection of pain medication. The doctor can examine the area beforehand, palpating bones and other soft tissues.

With an ultrasound-guided injection, the doctor can precisely locate and control where the medication is injected. The image is displayed in real time on a monitor.

The doctor can see exactly where the needle is located within the tissue. This method is highly significant due to its precision.

Facet Injection

Facet joint injection focuses on treating degenerated vertebral joints (facet joints). Vertebral joints ossify due to wear and tear (spondylosis or spondylarthrosis) and can painfully compress the lateral spinal nerves of the spinal cord (compression syndrome). You can read more about the treatment in the article “Facet Joint Injection.”

During a facet joint injection, the doctor administers a pain reliever directly into and around the joint under imaging guidance. The video shows the exact procedure:

Nerve Infiltration

In this procedure, the doctor typically treats the nerve roots. Also under imaging guidance, the doctor injects a mixture of pain relievers and anti-inflammatory cortisone near the nerve root.

This procedure is used, for example, in cases of herniated discs. The video shows the treatment of the cervical spine:

Trigger Point Injection

Trigger points are bands within the muscles that can be felt as hardened areas. Trigger points can not only be very painful but also prevent the muscles from functioning properly.

During trigger point infiltration, the doctor therefore injects a local anesthetic into the trigger point, which reduces the pain. In many cases, the patient requires multiple injections, as there are often several trigger points within the muscles.

A muscle twitch is often observed during the infiltration, but this is generally a positive sign. You can see a schematic illustration of how trigger points cause pain in distant parts of the body in the video:

Joint Injection

During joint infiltration, doctors inject medications directly into the affected joint with the aid of imaging. Osteoarthritis, for example, is a condition that requires this method.

However, doctors should exercise caution when selecting the medication. While cortisone has pain-relieving and anti-inflammatory effects, it can also damage the joints.

Hyaluronic acid is therefore an effective alternative—not least because it is a component of natural synovial fluid.

In this treatment method, the treating physician performs the injection using an ultrasound device. Using the ultrasound probe, the physician can “scan” the area to be treated and then decide exactly where the injection should be administered.

The patient benefits from this because it allows for precise, localized administration of the medication—that is, infiltration.

© Tobilander / Fotolia

Ultrasound-guided infiltration is used when:

• There are many bones or soft tissues in the affected area
• The area to be treated is located very deep 

As mentioned earlier, the advantage for both the physician and the patient is the ability to administer medication with the greatest possible precision.

The bursa can also be infiltrated with pinpoint accuracy. This method is suitable, for example, for bursitis.