AI is already showing up in MSK ultrasound machines, coloring in the anatomy as the probe touches the skin. Is it going to take your job? Ryan Martin and Colin Rigney spent a long time tracing and measuring hundreds of patellar tendon, Achilles and plantar fascia scans by hand to help train an AI, and they explain what that taught them: the algorithms run on statistics, imaging is variable, and it all still comes down to the human input. AI will make smart people smarter, but you still need deep sono anatomy to know whether to trust what it tells you, and the human element stays at the center of care. Then the second topic: dynamic or it didn't happen. The advantage ultrasound has over MRI, CT and x-ray is the ability to assess tissue in motion, yet most cases on social media are static images. Why physical therapists, athletic trainers and sports medicine physicians pick up dynamics faster, why the biggest gap is anatomy, and why, if you are not using dynamic capability, you are just taking pictures.
Register for the AMSKU Annual Global Summit '26, Saturday 5 December 2026, fully online
What this episode covers:
- Operator dependent or system dependent: a quick recap
- Is there AI in MSK ultrasound right now?
- How Ryan and Colin helped train an AI on MSK ultrasound images
- The biggest flaw in AI ultrasound: variability in imaging
- Should you get hyped on platforms with AI built in?
- AI will make smart people smarter
- Why you still need sono anatomy to interpret what AI tells you
- The human element: Adam Grant's Hidden Potential
- AI sono anatomy programs for novices, under supervision
- No, AI is not going to take your job
- Dynamic or it didn't happen
- Biomechanics: why PTs, athletic trainers and sports medicine physicians have a head start
- Dynamics is limited only by your creativity
- The biggest gap when teaching dynamics is anatomy
- If you are not scanning dynamically, you are a photographer
Links mentioned in this episode:
- AMSKU Annual Global Summit '26, Saturday 5 December, fully online. Register
- Every AMSKU MSK ultrasound course
- Questions or comments? Reach us
- Book: Hidden Potential by Adam Grant
New episodes every Tuesday. Watch on YouTube, or listen on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.
Chapters:
0:00 This week on From Probe to Practice
0:14 From Probe to Practice
0:33 Episode 12: AI in MSK ultrasound and dynamic or it didn't happen
1:00 Recap: operator dependent or system dependent
2:00 The operator is human. What about AI?
2:52 Is there AI in MSK ultrasound right now?
3:40 How we helped train an AI on MSK images
5:04 The biggest flaw: variability in imaging
5:46 Should we get hyped on AI platforms?
6:38 AI will make smart people smarter
7:37 You still need sono anatomy to interpret AI
8:30 The human element and Adam Grant's Hidden Potential
9:46 AI sono anatomy programs for novices
11:16 It's not going to take your job
12:01 Dynamic or it didn't happen
12:57 Static images on social media
13:27 Biomechanics: why PTs and ATs have a head start
14:33 How do we get more clinicians scanning dynamically?
14:49 Dynamics is limited only by your creativity
15:40 Gaps when teaching doctors dynamics
17:16 The biggest gap is anatomy
18:32 Which specialties pick up dynamics faster
20:03 If you're not scanning dynamically, you're a photographer
20:41 The takeaway: learn dynamics
21:50 Why we do this podcast
22:45 Dynamic evaluations in every AMSKU course
23:52 AMSKU Annual Global Summit '26
25:14 Somebody Tell Them: the AGS '26 benefit song
