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Background
Joint injections are commonly used in radiology practice for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes. Reasons to perform diagnostic joint injections include injecting contrast material into the joint space for better visualization and aspirating joint fluid for further analysis. There are many therapeutic applications for joint injections including placing steroids, platelet-rich plasma, hyaluronic acid, and anesthetic into the joint space. This educational exhibit will provide illustrative guidelines for performing ultrasound-guided joint injections.

Educational Goals / Teaching Points
Review relevant anatomy for performing injections of various joints in a safe and efficient manner. Discuss adequate patient positioning, effective approach, and proper equipment for each type of joint injection with illustrations and case examples. There are multiple potential entry points for a joint injection with their respective pros and cons; this exhibit will discuss benefits of the preferred approach for each type of joint injection and the key steps to access each type of joint space.

Key Anatomic/Physiologic Issues and Imaging Findings/Techniques
This exhibit will review joint injection techniques with a focus on ultrasound-guided procedures. Ultrasound allows one to perform many joint injections in the inpatient and outpatient settings quickly and efficiently while allowing real time monitoring of the needle pathway and visualizing relevant anatomy. It is imperative for the radiologist to know the key anatomic landmarks, target spot, and effective probe placement when performing injections. Illustrations and labeled case images of various injections are provided to facilitate learning.

Conclusion
Ultrasound-guided joint injections are widely used for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes. It is crucial for the training radiologist to understand the most effective approach and relevant anatomy for increased success rate of joint injection and minimize complications.