A report on the Neuromuscular Ultrasound in Taiwan, a two-day learning course.
By Stefan Meng, MD
Stefan Meng
Each year, a two-day course on nerve ultrasound takes place in Taipei. Founded and organized in 2016 by Prof. Ke-Vin Chang from the National Taiwan University, the course focuses on standards in nerve ultrasound. All main nerves, including median nerve, ulnar nerve, and sciatic nerve, are discussed with ultrasound anatomy. This includes common pathologies and ultrasound-guided interventions, using a landmark-based approach to locate the nerve with ultrasound.
Prof. Ke-Vin Chang (center) gives attendees a hands-on look at nerve ultrasound in action.
The most recent course took place Dec. 14-15, 2024, in Taipei.
On the first day of the course, the theoretical base for each nerve is presented in short talks. A special topic is then highlighted for each region. (For example, in 2024, Baxter’s neuralgia was discussed for the foot.) Each segment is followed by a live ultrasound demonstration of the nerves and their corresponding landmarks.
Stefan Meng, MD, (front) gives a live ultrasound demonstration.
The second day of the course offers hands-on training. In small groups of five to eight people, each participant, guided by experts in the field, performs ultrasound examinations of all previously discussed nerves. This hands-on experience of ultrasound offers the virtual imaging method as well as the manual skill. These small groups also provide the opportunity for personal discussions with the experts.
Such an ultrasound course is demanding: First, it is a comprehensive theoretical course, followed by a hands-on workshop with a tight schedule. Completing such a course requires will and determination. But the effort makes it possible to lay a sound and solid foundation for nerve ultrasound in any institution.
For more information, visit Neuromuscular Ultrasound in Taiwan. •
Stefan Meng, MD, is consultant radiologist, head of ultrasound at the Department of Radiology in the Hanusch Hospital, Vienna, and head of a research lab at the Department of Anatomy at the Medical University of Vienna. His clinical and research focus is on neuromuscular and head/neck imaging. Dr. Meng is the current president of the Austrian Society for Ultrasound in Medicine.
