Journal of Clinical Case Reports

Utility of Musculoskeletal Ultrasound in the Diagnosis and Treatment of Suprapatellar Fat Pad Impingement: A Case Report

Abstract

Luis Balmore Gutierrez, Tara A Morgan, Thomas Link, Brian Feeley and Daria Motamedi

We report a case of suprapatellar fat pad impingement diagnosed and treated using musculoskeletal ultrasound. This report describes the utility of musculoskeletal ultrasound in making the diagnosis of suprapatellar fat pad impingement, which may potentially present as anterior knee pain, and more specifically, anterior superior knee pain. The importance of recognizing this entity on musculoskeletal ultrasound, especially when the imaging findings are subtle on prior MR imaging, is emphasized. Unconvincing suprapatellar fat pad edema on MR imaging, for example, should not preclude consideration of this entity at targeted ultrasound of the anterior knee in a patient with anterior knee pain. Furthermore, once the diagnosis is made using ultrasound, the suprapatellar fat pad impingement can be immediately and effectively treated with ultrasound-guided injection of steroid and anesthetic.