Paediatric musculoskeletal ultrasound – Examination of the joint capsule shape in healthy children and adolescents

Purpose: In rheumatic diseases a convex shape of the joint capsule is valid as a sign of joint effusion. Up to now there are no studies about the capsule shape in a healthy childhood population. Material and methods: In an age- and sex-related multicentre study, we examined the formation of the capsules of shoulder, elbow, hip and ankle joints. The evaluation was performed in a longitudinal scan in healthy children and adolescents between 2 and 18 years of age. The shape of the capsule was classified into concave, straight or convex in relation to the bone surface located dorsally of the capsule. Results: We eva…