Musculoskeletal ultrasound (MSKUS) has been recognized as an important method for the evaluation of diseases of the musculoskeletal system, and contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) technology is becoming an important branch of it. The development of novel materials and tiny nano-formulations has further expanded ultrasound contrast agents (UCAs) into the field of nanotechnology. Over the years, nanoscale contrast agents have been found to play an unexpected role in the integration of precise imaging for diagnosis and treatment of numerous diseases. It has been demonstrated that nanoscale UCAs (nUCAs) have advantages in imaging over conventional contrast agents, including superior biocompatibility, serum stability, and longer lifetime. The potential value of nUCAs in the musculoskeletal system is that they provide more reliable and clinically valuable guidance for the diagnosis, treatment, and follow-up of related diseases. The frontier of advances in nUCAs, their applications, and insights in MSKUS are reviewed in this paper.
Keywords: molecular imaging; musculoskeletal ultrasound; nanotechnology; ultrasound contrast agent; ultrasound imaging.