Peripheral Vascular and Musculoskeletal Nerve Subspecialty

The Peripheral Vascular and Musculoskeletal Nerve Subspecialty of the Department of Ultrasound Medicine at Shandong Provincial Hospital is a specialized professional team integrating medical care, teaching, and research. It was formally established in 2021. Relying on high-end color Doppler ultrasound equipment and technologies including elastography and contrast-enhanced ultrasound, the department focuses on precision ultrasound diagnosis in the fields of the abdomen, peripheral vessels, lymphatic vessels, the musculoskeletal system, and peripheral nerves, as well as corresponding interventional treatment for musculoskeletal pain. It actively promotes multidisciplinary collaboration, and its services address a wide range of clinical needs, including vascular lesions of the abdomen, neck, and extremities, sports injuries, and musculoskeletal and peripheral nerve disorders related to rheumatology and immunology.

1. Specialized Team

The department currently has 16 professional physicians, including 2 chief physicians, 4 associate chief physicians, and 9 attending physicians. The team includes 1 Taishan Scholar Young Expert and 5 master’s supervisors at Shandong First Medical University.

All team members have a solid foundation in ultrasound imaging and extensive practical experience in their subspecialties. Several members hold important positions in national- and provincial-level academic organizations for ultrasound medicine. Every quarter, the vascular and musculoskeletal ultrasound team offers a specialized technical training course in musculoskeletal and peripheral nerve ultrasound for physicians undertaking further training. Trainees who pass the assessment may receive a training certificate issued by Shandong Provincial Hospital.

2. Diagnostic Scope and Technical Features

The department comprehensively provides services related to peripheral vascular and musculoskeletal nerve ultrasound, mainly including:

【Peripheral Vascular Field】Preoperative assessment and postoperative follow-up of arterial lesions in the neck, abdomen, and extremities; post-EVAR contrast-enhanced ultrasound for abdominal aortic aneurysms; ultrasound management of deep vein thrombosis throughout the disease course; precise preoperative assessment of lower-extremity varicose veins; preoperative ultrasound assessment and localization of vessels in tissue flaps; differential diagnosis of superficial hemangiomas and vascular malformations

【Lymphatic Field】Contrast-enhanced ultrasound evaluation of lymphatic vessels in limb lymphedema; ultrasound evaluation of thoracic duct lesions; and ultrasound diagnosis and treatment of lymphatic malformations

【Musculoskeletal and Peripheral Nerve Ultrasound Field】Screening for developmental dysplasia of the hip in children; assessment of sports injuries and muscle and tendon lesions; diagnosis and treatment follow-up of rheumatology- and immunology-related lesions; and ultrasound diagnosis of peripheral nerve trauma, entrapment, tumors, and complex neuropathies, including CMT, CIDP, GBS, and others

【Interventional Treatment for Musculoskeletal Pain】Ultrasound-guided intra-articular puncture and injection, nerve blocks, biopsies of soft-tissue masses, and other procedures

3. Research Achievements and Honors

The team’s research achievements have repeatedly been presented by invitation at the annual meetings of the Asian Federation of Societies for Ultrasound in Medicine and Biology (AFSUMB), the Ultrasound Medicine Branch of the Chinese Medical Association, and the Ultrasound Physicians Branch of the Chinese Medical Doctor Association. The team enjoys considerable academic influence both domestically and internationally. Over the past three years, it has undertaken 1 Youth Fund project of the National Natural Science Foundation of China and 3 provincial-level projects, including 2 Shandong Provincial Natural Science Foundation projects and 1 project supported by special funding from the Taishan Scholar Program, and has received 1 Third Prize for Youth Science and Technology from the Shandong Medical Association. During the past three years, the team has published 25 SCI articles, with a highest impact factor of 10.2, 4 articles in journals in the Chinese Medical Association series, and 1 book.

4. Mission and Vision

The department upholds the service philosophy of “Precision ultrasound, gaining insight into vessels, muscles, and bones; revealing every detail, safeguarding neural pathways.” It continues to deepen multidisciplinary collaboration with clinical departments including orthopedics, hand, foot and microsurgery, sports medicine, rheumatology and immunology, cardiovascular surgery, and plastic surgery, and is committed to providing patients with more precise and comprehensive ultrasound imaging diagnosis and image-guided treatment services.