Training musculoskeletal ultrasound specialists: European education and clinical guidelines: Work in progress

Abstract

Musculoskeletal ultrasound (MSK US) comprises a wide range of different examinations increasingly performed by practitioners with different background (e.g., radiology, rheumatology, orthopedic surgery, physical medicine, sport medicine, pediatrics, internal medicine, general practitioners, anesthesiology, neurology). In most European countries, structured training programs are offered by Ultrasound Societies, Radiology Societies, Rheumatology Societies, Orthopedic Surgery Societies, fewer are given by Physical Medicine Society, Sport Medicine Society and there are even courses for medical and health professional students at the University. MSK US education courses and guidelines are still mainly based on National Ultrasound Societies, but efforts have been made to proceed toward a European concept. Several European societies are working on dedicated concepts: EULAR (European League Against Rheumatism) has elaborated a detailed education program for rheumatolo-gists, ESSR (European Society of Musculoskeletal Radiology) offers standardized scanning protocols for different body regions and has started working on clinical indications for such protocols, and EFSUMB (European Federation of Societies for Ultrasound in Medicine and Biology) has proposed a curriculum for MSK US that sets standards for theoretical knowledge and practical skills. From the radiological point of view, The EFSUMB and ESSR concepts are of special interest and will therefore be discussed in more detail. © 2010 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg.