Physical Therapists Use of Diagnostic Ultrasound Imaging in Clinical Practice: A Review of Case Reports.

These are published case reports, not controlled studies, so they cannot show that ultrasound causes better diagnosis or outcomes. The authors state publication bias is likely, because case reports must be novel and the true frequency of ultrasound use in physical therapy is unknown. The search was limited to English-language papers and may have missed relevant reports. Most cases came from outpatient orthopaedic or sports settings, with only one inpatient case, so it says little about other physical therapy practice areas. Some anatomical regions and whether imaging was static or dynamic were inferred from images rather than stated clearly. Outcomes were mostly diagnosis, referral, or treatment change; patient-specific clinical outcomes were often not reported.

Do not read the 33 confirmed diagnoses and 29 treatment changes as proof that ultrasound improves physical therapy care. These are published case reports selected for interesting presentations, and the paper reports no comparison group or patient outcome measures.