Private Knee Ultrasound

Knee pain or a knee ache can be debilitating.

The good news is that an ultrasound of your knee can often quickly and accurately diagnose the problem.

Here’s everything you need to know about the causes of knee pain and when a doctor might recommend an ultrasound scan.

The knees are vulnerable to injury. From walking to running, the knee joints take a lot of strain.

The most common causes of short-lived or chronic knee pain are:

• Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) tear – common in athletes or people who play sports

• Meniscus cartilage tear – often happens if you twist the knee suddenly while you’re putting weight on it

• Tissue inflammation

• Patellar tendinitis – irritation of a tendon around the knee joint

• Minor joint fractures

• Dislocation

• Iliotibial band syndrome – common in cyclists and distance runners

Less common causes of knee pain include:

• Gout

• Infection around the knee joint

• Osteoarthritis

• Rheumatoid arthritis

• Obesity, which places chronic extra stress on the joints

• A loose body, which is when a bone or cartilage fragment breaks away and causes discomfort in the joint space

You don’t always need to see a doctor for knee pain; however, an ultrasound is nevertheless still the best way to diagnose your condition.

You should visit your doctor and consider an ultrasound scan if you have:

• Stiff knee

• Restricted knee movement

• Knee swelling

• Weak knee

• Chronic knee pain

• Knee joint pain

Visit your doctor promptly if you’re experiencing any of the following:

• Red knee

• Knee pain following an injury or accident

• Significant knee swelling

• Knee warm to the touch

• Knee popping or knee crunching

• Unable to straighten the knee

• Severe pain around the joint

These symptoms may suggest an infection, dislocation, or fracture around the knee joint, and you shouldn’t ignore them.

If your knee pain is mild, self-care at home may be enough. However, you should always visit your doctor if it doesn’t clear up with rest after a few weeks.

There’s very little preparation required for a knee ultrasound.

What we do recommend is that you wear loose, comfortable clothing as you may need to remove it for the scan.

First, you’ll be asked to lie or sit on the examination table and expose your knee.

The specialist places a small quantity of clear, water-based gel around your knee area.

This is painless, although it may feel cold at first. The gel acts as a lubricant so the ultrasound probe glides over your skin without causing discomfort.

Once you’re ready, the specialist places the ultrasound probe against your skin.

They move the probe around the area, capturing images of your knee area as they go.

Once they’ve captured enough images to make a diagnosis, the scan is complete. You can then relax and remove the gel and get changed if necessary.

After the scan, the specialist reviews the images and provides a diagnosis if possible. If a diagnosis isn’t possible at this stage, further investigations will be recommended.

There’s no aftercare required following an ultrasound scan. You can go home immediately and resume your daily activities.

No significant preparation is required for this test. 

There is no particular type of care required after a Knee Ultrasound Scan. You may resume your regular diet and daily activities unless your doctor advises you differently.

There are no confirmed adverse biological effects on patients or instrument operators caused by exposures to ultrasound at the intensity levels used in diagnostic ultrasound.

But depending on your particular results, the doctor may give you additional or alternative instructions after the procedure.

Many of our patients are concerned that if they come to us for an ultrasound, they won’t be able to go back to public health. That simply is not the case.

Our goal is to give you answers as quickly as possible and get you on the right treatment path fast – no strings attached.

When you come to us, you will be seen by a qualified specialist who can determine if your situation is serious or not that same day.

We don’t want you to wait weeks on end for an appointment because every minute counts when it comes to something as important as your health.

If your situation is serious, our specialist will write to your doctor in the NHS advising them that you need an urgent appointment.