Perhaps the best beginner MSK scan can rapidly identify a joint effusion with significantly better sensitivity and specificity than physical exam alone.
in patients presenting with knee pain a quick scan of the knee can rapidly identify many pathologies on the differential diagnosis i'll take the linear scanner on an msk preset and i like to place it right at the superior aspect of the patella to start the scan where i can find the patella and the quadriceps tendon and the femur all at once here in the suprapatellar bursa i can identify most readily whether or not there is a joint diffusion i can also rotate that quadriceps tendon into its transverse axis and follow it down to its insertion on the patella or up into the muscle belly of the quadriceps to identify any tendinopathy or tears from here to confirm the absence or presence of a joint diffusion i can also slide down into the joint space on the medial aspect and scan through see the tibia and the femur come together or on the lateral aspect and as we can see in this patient there's no obvious joint diffusion or other pathology identified
