Recommendations of the Austrian Society of Rheumatology/Austrian Radiology-Rheumatology Initiative for Musculoskeletal Ultrasound for the application of ultrasound in rheumatology

It is the current goal in rheumatology to diagnose and treat inflammatory rheumatic diseases early in order to avoid structural damage. Functional imaging methods such as musculoskeletal sonography are increasingly used to support the clinical diagnosis. To ascertain the quality of ultrasound assessments performed by rheumatologists in Austria, the Austrian Radiology-Rheumatology Initiative for Musculoskeletal Ultrasound (ARRIMUS) proposed recommendations for a training curriculum, technical standards for ultrasound equipment, minimum requirements for documentation, indications for sonography and the use of ultrasound for interventions. These recommendations have been endorsed by the Austrian Society of Rheumatology and should aid rheumatologists to perform high quality ultrasound assessment in clinical practice.