Fowler JR, Rawool NM. Ultrasound of the Hand and Upper Extremity: A Step-by-Step Guide; Thieme;2017;202 pp;340 ill.;$129.99.
Ultrasound of the Hand and Upper Extremity: A Step-by-Step Guide is a well-organized, concise text geared toward “hand surgeons and the radiologists who work with them.” It is designed as a quick reference to guide the reader through the ultrasound-assisted diagnosis and treatment of common upper extremity conditions and is organized into 5 sections:
- Introduction – Covers the basic tents of musculoskeletal ultrasound
- Fingers and Wrist
- Forearm and Elbow
- Shoulder
- Masses
Sixteen short chapters are covered within these sections and include topics such as trigger finger, carpal tunnel, lateral epicondylitis, and ultrasound-guided shoulder injections. Each chapter progresses from patient and probe positioning, to normal anatomy, to the sonographic appearance of pathology and ultrasound-guided injection. The content of each chapter is presented in bullet-point format with photographs, labeled sonograms, and illustrations on nearly every page. In addition, 13 accompanying videos are available online and provide examples of ultrasound scanning and dynamic evaluations.
This book effectively accomplishes its goal of being a step-by-step guide for the practicing clinician. It has a cookbook-like approach, with instructional text presented alongside photographs, demonstrating probe-placement and corresponding sonograms, which enables the reader to progress from positioning, scanning, and injection in just a few pages. The anatomic structures depicted are clearly marked and the legends are easy to read. A brief overview of the normal and pathologic anatomy is also presented in each chapter. While these anatomic sections provide a good synopsis, they are best suited as a review for the reader who has additional background experience with ultrasound of the upper extremity. Likewise, while some injection technique descriptions provide guidance for needle and injectate selection, familiarity with musculoskeletal injections for the upper extremity is needed beyond this text. The accompanying videos available online range from several seconds to around 2 minutes and cover scanning of structures such as the A1 pulley and median nerve, dynamic evaluation of the distal biceps, and an ultrasound-guided injection for lateral epicondylitis. These are a welcome addition and provide helpful examples of the techniques described in the text.
One notable weakness of the book is its overall lack of references. It is not surprising – given the step-by-step focus of the book. Additionally, in-depth discussion on these topics have been omitted in order to stream-line the presentation. Still, few references exist, and the majority of the text is assumed to be derived from the contributing authors’ experience.
Overall, Ultrasound of the Hand and Upper Extremity: A Step-by-Step Guide is an excellent instructive text designed to quickly take the reader throughout the application of ultrasound for common conditions in the upper extremity. Compared with many other texts on musculoskeletal ultrasound, this book is a standout due to its reader-friendly layout, high-quality images, and direct approach. The intended audience for this book is orthopedic surgeons, sports medicine clinicians, and musculoskeletal radiologists for use in their practice. To that end, this book serves equally well as a primer on these topics, or a review for experienced clinicians.
