On March 1st, Saulius Rutkauskas, Head of the Society of Musculoskeletal Ultrasound Diagnostics organised the training “Basics of Ultrasound Diagnostics of Muscles and Skeleton”. We are happy to present the interview with the organiser of this event.

How many years and at what intervals do you organise “Muscle and skeleton ultrasound diagnostic training”?

I have been organising trainings since 2014. In 2015, since the establishment of the Musculoskeletal Ultrasound Diagnostic Society in September 2008, I have been actively involved in the dissemination of ultrasound systems and the organisation of new training. Up to now, 8 conferences and even 13 workshops have been held in many Lithuanian cities. At least 5 more workshops are scheduled by the end of this year.

What is the principle of workshops?

During the workshops, all professionals who are interested in the musculoskeletal system have the opportunity to work on the ultrasound systems and learn to visualise the anatomical structures on the screen. In addition to practice, lectures on anatomy and the most common ultrasound pathology are also presented by the best specialists.

What are your goals of trainings? Are you satisfied with the results you have achieved?

The goal is simple - to encourage professionals to use ultrasound diagnostic equipment, which in many cases can provide the necessary information. Properly mastered muscular and skeletal ultrasound diagnostics can become an irreplaceable tool for detecting sports injuries, chronic tendon abnormalities, ligament ruptures, etc. Frequently, it would be possible to avoid sending a patient to a magnetic resonance imaging, which is expensive and, unfortunately, does not always fully respond to the clinician's questions. Expensive research should only be done after all the more affordable and cheaper diagnostics tools have been used.

What are the most important trainings and events organised by you this year? The most interesting topics and lecturers?

The most important event for this year is the ESSR Outreach MSK US Course, which will be held in April 12-13 in Kaunas. 60 participants from 6 countries have been registered for our Course. Teachers from England, Netherlands, France, Latvia and Lithuania will come to Kaunas.

How long have you been working with Mindray ultrasound systems? What are the advantages?

I have been working with Mindray ultrasound systems for more than 5 years and I am very satisfied with this company's technological solutions. Working in the field of muscle and skeletal ultrasound diagnostics, due to the speed of image processing and the price-quality ratio, Mindray ultrasound devices really deserve attention.