How to Validate the Use of Musculoskeletal Ultrasound in Rheumatology for Clinical Trials

The use of ultrasound in inflammatory conditions has increased in recent years and is now a relatively accessible imaging modality in most clinical departments. It has no ionizing radiation and is able to visualize structures in real-time with high resolution. Though ultrasound is used widely in daily clinical practice, validation is of utmost importance if ultrasound is to be used as a research tool in clinical trials. The aim of the present review is to evaluate how well musculoskeletal ultrasound is validated in relation to technical performance, diagnostic and therapeutic impact and diagnostic performance and to determine which areas need further work.