The course is taught by highly experienced dual trained physiotherapists/MSK sonographers and sports medicine consultants combining over 40 years scanning experience. We teach you the basic skills required to incorporate MSK ultrasound into your clinical practice and the knowledge and resources to further develop your scanning skills. The course is a mixture of lectures, case studies, demonstrations and practical workshops. The practical workshops take place in small groups with close supervision from our expert tutors.
Over the two days, short lectures cover basic physics, artefacts, knobology, image optimisation, quality assurance, medico-legal and clinical governance issues. A significant part of the course is practical workshops with ample time for delegates to scan under close supervision. We cover the knee, shoulder and ankle joints in detail. This includes the ligaments, nerves, surrounding musculature and tendons for each body part. The elbow, lateral hip and wrist are covered in less detail unless specifically requested. Where appropriate ultrasound guided injections will be discussed with the group. On day 2 (when possible) there is an opportunity for delegates to discuss the scan results and appropriate management.
Who should attend?
This programme attracts MSK Radiologists, GPs with special interest in MSK/Sports Medicine, Surgeons, Sports Medicine Consultants, Physiotherapists, Radiographers, Podiatrists, Sonographers and Osteopaths.
Course pre-requisites
Must be a health care professional with significant clinical experience
If practicing in the UK, must be registered with the relevant UK professional body e.g. GMC, HCPC, SOR etc.
Tutors:
- Chris Myers - Extended Scope Physiotherapist, Osteopath and MSK Sonographer
- Robert Laus - Clinical Director, Specialist Physiotherapist and MSK Sonographer
- Dr Lorenzo Masci - Consultant Sports Medicine Doctor and MSK Sonographer
- Mark Maybury - Extended Scope Physiotherapist
- John Leddy - Extended Scope Physiotherapist
Day 1
| Time |
Summary |
Details |
| 09:15 - 09:30 |
Registration/Coffee |
|
| 09:30 - 10:00 |
Introduction |
US applications in clinical setting and sports medicine. Tissue characterisation. |
| 10:00 - 11:30 |
Scanning skills |
The essentials:
Patient and practitioner positioning
Hand setting, pressure
Orientation in anatomical not radiology planes
Landmarks
Transverse/longitudinal spin
Sonopalpation
Dynamic scanning |
|
Skills training |
Know the anatomy and scan the anatomy. Integrate US within clinical assessment |
|
Practice |
Achilles and calf muscle |
|
Tissue Visualisation |
Tendon: Achilles tendon
Muscles: calf muscle
Ligament: MCL
Joint: knee/ankle
Nerve: sciatic nerve
Tendon with synovial sheet: tibialis posterior |
| 11:30 - 11:45 |
Coffee Break |
|
| 11:45 - 12:45 |
Knee Part 1 |
Anterior: |
|
Practical |
Distal quadriceps
Infrapatellar tendon
Fat pads, suprapatellar recess medial:
MCL
Peripheral margin medial meniscus
Medial retinaculum |
|
Knee Cases |
Presentation and discussion. Differential diagnosis, treatment implications. MRI versus US. |
| 12:45 - 13:30 |
Lunch |
|
| 13:30 - 14:45 |
Shoulder Part 1 |
Anterior: |
|
Practical |
Biceps tendon
Rotator cuff |
|
Shoulder Cases |
Presentation and discussion |
| 14:45 - 15:00 |
Coffee Break |
|
| 15:00 - 16:45 |
Ankle Part 1 |
Anterior: |
|
Practical |
Tibialis anterior tendon
Extensor hallucis/digitorum tendons
Tibiotalar joint capsulaLateral
Peroneal tendons and retinaculum
ATFL |
|
Ankle Cases |
Presentation and discussion |
Day 2
| Time |
Summary |
Details |
| 09:15 - 09:30 |
Registration/Coffee |
|
| 09:30 - 11:30 |
Introduction |
Consolidate the basics. Expanding your skills: more challenging structures.
Dynamic testing ligaments, tendons, joints, muscles.
Soft tissue landmarks in muscles.
Transverse/longitudinal spin. Dynamic tests. |
|
Shoulder Part 2 |
Rotator cuff |
|
Practical |
Rotator cuff interval
Coraco-acromial ligament
Postero-superior gleno-humeral joint
Impingement tests |
| 11:30 - 11:45 |
Coffee Break |
|
| 11:45 - 12:45 |
Knee Part 2 |
Lateral Knee |
|
Practical |
LCL, ITB
Lateral meniscus
Popliteal tendonPosterior joint
PCL
Posteromedial corner and pes anserinus
Medial and lateral patellar retinaculum |
|
Knee Cases |
Presentation and discussion. When is ultrasound assessment indicated? |
| 12:45 - 13:30 |
Lunch |
|
| 13:30 - 15:05 |
Ankle Part 2 |
Putting your skills to the test! Challenging structures and dynamic testing. |
|
Practical |
Lateral:
peroneal tendons, ATFL, CFL
Posterior:
Achilles and calf muscle, flexor hallucis longus, tibiotalar and subtalar capsula, plantar fascia
Medial:
Tarsal tunnel, deltoid ligament
Anterior:
Tibialis anterior, flexors halluces/digitorum, tibiotalar joint |
|
Ankle Cases |
Presentation and discussion |
| 15:05 - 15:15 |
Coffee Break |
|
| 15:15 - 16:45 |
Revision and Requests |
|
|
US in Sports Injuries |
Presentation |
|
What to do next |
Use your skills and learn to recognise:
Spectrum of normal anatomy
Spectrum of tissue changes and trauma
Spectrum of tissue healing and complications
Practise and gain experience!
Different pathways |
Are SMUG courses endorsed by The College of Radiographers?
Endorsment for our Introduction to Musculoskeletal Ultrasound Imaging in Sports Medicine course is currently being processed.
How does the SMUG introduction course differ from other courses?
It is an intensive, highly practical, hands-on and highly interactive course with a high tutor participant ratio of at least 1:6. It is designed for sports medicine practitioners and provides a good grounding in tissue recognition and scanning skills as well as giving participants a clear idea of the skill level required and the time it takes to be competent and confident.
Do I get a qualification/certificate at the end of the Introduction course?
You will receive a certificate for the allocated CPD hours for the course, not a certificate of competence.
How do I continue to develop my skills after the Introduction course?
For MSK Diagnostic Ultrasound the only accredited pathways are via the Royal College of Radiologists and a PG Cert in MSK Sonography (such as at Canterbury University); it takes approximately 18 months and you have to do a clinic with a radiologist/sonographer once a week.
I only want to know how to scan a particular area (shoulder, muscle, ankle). Is the introduction course for me?
Yes, any scanning requires the skill to optimise the image using the machine settings and the correct manual skill to assess the tissues of interest as well as the knowledge of how to avoid pitfalls.
I am already injecting and only want to know how to do it under guidance. Is the introduction course necessary?
Yes, to identify the correct target area you need the manual skill to visualise the needle and the procedure correctly as well as to follow up after injections.
My company is looking at purchasing a machine. Any suggestions or things to look for?
Many portable machines are very good quality. Look for multi-frequency probes (5-12 MHz or higher), sensitive Power and colour Doppler and most important of course good, clear images. GE, Siemens, SonoSite, Mindray to mention a few manufacturers. Ask the representative to demonstrate a model in your clinic and compare!
Will I be able to scan my patients after the introduction course?
The course gives you the practical skills, but it takes a lot more training to get familiar with the spectrum of normal anatomy appearance, trauma, pathology and clinical interpretation, before ultrasound can be combined with your clinical examination. Practise your skills on patients with their consent, do not use it immediately as a clinical skill.
What is your cancellation policy?
Less than 28 days notice = No refund
29 to 56 days notice = 50% refund
Over 57 days notice = Full refund, less a £25.00 admin charge
What are the prerequisites for the Introduction course?
Participants should have good anatomical knowledge (especially cross-sectional) and clinical experience.
What are the prerequisites for the Advanced course?
Participants have ideally attended an introductory (Level 1) course, are expected to have regular access to an ultrasound scanner, are using ultrasound scanning as part of their daily practice, have completed at least 10 documented scans and are competent at identifying the normal appearance of most commonly assessed structures in MSK ultrasound.
Do SMUG run courses specific to emergency medicine to identify DVT etc?
No, our courses are purely sports medicine orientated and as such do not cover DVT screening or application in an A&E department.
Can I pay by instalments?
Yes. Please email Francesca at info@ultrasoundtraining.co.uk. Please note that to guarantee your place, the final instalment must be received 28 days prior to the start of the course.
Anonymous
Physio. BB
This has really opened my eyes to the potential of ultrasound as a neurophysio I was out of my comfort zone but, I felt the tutors were very accommodating
Anonymous
Physio. GM
Practical sessions and amount of time allowed to practice scanning. Constant tutor feedback was extremely helpful
John Evans
Osteopath and Senior Lecturer Oxford Brookes University
The whole course was fantastic - congratulations a big success!
Dr Ali Abassi
Consultant Radiologist
Excellent practical sessions with significant amount of time allowed to practice scanning. Constant tutor feedback was extremely helpful
Lisa Hughes
MSK Sonographer
It was a really useful course to rejuvenate my skills, what I did years back! Excellent use of landmarks and analogies throughout the course to assist learning.
Jo Daniels
Clinical Specialist Physiotherapist
Great opportunity to get hands experience with real time feedback. Constant correlation to clinical presentation throughout the course. A must do course for any MSK practitioner.
Mr Andrew Edwards
Orthopaedic Surgeon
The course was great fun! As an orthopaedic surgeon adding ultrasound to my practice will transform the client pathway and improve my injection accuracy and outcomes.
Geoff Gardener
Registered Osteopath
Excellent course. Feeling far more confident after the course
Luke Millward
Physiotherapist
Excellent tutor demonstrations; clearly presented and at the right pace. The practical workshops were well organised and we had clear objectives with each session. The course was broken up into different joints. There was a lot of information to remember so this made it more manageable.
Doug Tannahill
Registered Osteopath
Great mix of demo and practical; with excellent supervision and lots of time to scan. I will definitely comeback for another SMUG course.
Paul Hattam
Highly Specialised Physiotherapist and Lead Tutor Society of Orthopaedic Medicine (SOMMS)
Lots of practical scanning time and very passionate tutors. Looking forward to starting the mentorship programme.
Gareth Davies
Registered Osteopath
I had never picked up a probe before the course. The course moved at an appropriate pace for my experience and the tutors accommodated the varying levels very well.
Mr Kailish Devalia
Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Surgeon
Excellent and inspiring course, concise and to the point and very approachable tutors. I will be back for more!
Dr Dane Vishnubala
Sports Medicine Registrar
Really enjoyed the course. There is no other group to learn ultrasound with - these guys are the leaders in the field. I will definitely attend the Mentorship course to prepare for my DOPS exam with the Faculty of Sports & Exercise Medicine.
Sebastion Cencini
Sports Physiotherapist - Italian National Volleyball Team
Highly hands-on course with time to practice. The tutors were friendly and approachable.
Marius Fredriksen
Specialist Physiotherapist, Norway
Very practical and small groups. Excellent
Kjetil Nord-Varhaug
Specialist Physiotherapist, Norway
Overall a great course with great machine to person ratio and tutor therapist ratio! The day was a mix of short presentations and demos and then practical workshops. The tutors were very approachable.
Dr Frank Johnson
Consultant in Sports Medicine, Canada
Good systematic approach to scanning, well directed to student needs. Great to have tutors with a mix of clinical backgrounds (radiologist, sports doc and physiotherapists).
Anonymous
Consultant in Sports Medicine Netherlands
Very good. Excellent anatomical explanations with clear scanning protocols and great course handouts. Thank you to the whole team again for an exciting and challenging few days
Matt Prout
Extended Scope Physiotherapist
Practical sessions were great, very close supervision and the teacher's were very passionate. Loved it!
Paul Fisher
Lead Physiotherapist GB Basketball
Best course I have been on for years. Really challenges you clinical practice. Great tutors Chris and Rob - clear explanations and demos