There is a rapidly growing body of evidence supporting the impressive accuracy of sonography (diagnostic ultrasound) for diagnosing musculoskeletal soft tissue pathologies, especially those in the upper and lower extremities. The sensitivity, specificity, and diagnostic accuracy of sonography is comparable to MRI for full thickness rotator cuff tears, carpal tunnel syndrome, quadriceps tears, Achilles’ tendinopathies, and many others.
The utilization of focused, limited ultrasound exams performed by healthcare providers at the bedside is known as point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS). A musculoskeletal POCUS training program would give chiropractic students the necessary knowledge and skills to inform appropriate patient selection, to identify normal anatomic structures with diagnostic ultrasound, and to simultaneously distinguish pathological findings in the soft tissues.
The Doctor of Chiropractic Program (DCP) at Universidad Central del Caribe (UCC) is assimilating ~85 hours of fully comprehensive musculoskeletal point of care ultrasound training. The curriculum was specifically selected and tailored by a diagnostic imaging specialist for best uses in chiropractic clinical practice. Laboratory training sessions involve the use of virtual reality simulated patients and sham ultrasound probes with motion sensing capabilities; this allows for the assessment of student technical skill development, which is then transferrable to general clinical practice after graduation.
The DCP program at UCC is the first truly integrative educational experience for chiropractic trainees in North America; chiropractic students share training experiences with professionals and students in the UCC School of Medicine. Of note, it is the first and only chiropractic school in Puerto Rico, and the first and only chiropractic school in Latin America to be fully accredited by the Council on Chiropractic Education- USA (CCE-USA).
In the long term, this additional training and interprofessional exchange may encourage more meaningful collaborations between chiropractors and medical physicians, both in Puerto Rico and beyond. Outcomes like this may ultimately lead to a deeper incorporation of chiropractors into the global healthcare system, and augmentation of their patient outcomes.