CQUniversity Unit Profile
MEDS20010 Fundamentals of Musculoskeletal Ultrasound
Fundamentals of Musculoskeletal Ultrasound
All details in this unit profile for MEDS20010 have been officially approved by CQUniversity and represent a learning partnership between the University and you (our student).
The information will not be changed unless absolutely necessary and any change will be clearly indicated by an approved correction included in the profile.
General Information

Overview

This unit is an introduction to the theory and practice of basic soft tissue ultrasound imaging and is appropriate for science graduates and allied health / medical professionals wishing to use ultrasound as a focused diagnostic tool at the point of care. The unit will interest students engaged in, or studying towards, managing soft tissue injury and pathology, and is also useful to anyone who has interest in musculoskeletal imaging. You will develop knowledge of musculoskeletal ultrasound with emphasis on interpretation of anatomical structures, biomechanics, and pathology. You will study a range of anatomical structures and pathology which can mimic musculoskeletal conditions.

Details

Career Level: Postgraduate
Unit Level: Level 8
Credit Points: 6
Student Contribution Band: 8
Fraction of Full-Time Student Load: 0.125

Pre-requisites or Co-requisites

  Co-requisite:MEDS20009 Science and Instrumentation of Ultrasound

Important note: Students enrolled in a subsequent unit who failed their pre-requisite unit, should drop the subsequent unit before the census date or within 10 working days of Fail grade notification. Students who do not drop the unit in this timeframe cannot later drop the unit without academic and financial liability. See details in the Assessment Policy and Procedure (Higher Education Coursework).

Offerings For Term 3 - 2019

Online

Attendance Requirements

All on-campus students are expected to attend scheduled classes – in some units, these classes are identified as a mandatory (pass/fail) component and attendance is compulsory. International students, on a student visa, must maintain a full time study load and meet both attendance and academic progress requirements in each study period (satisfactory attendance for International students is defined as maintaining at least an 80% attendance record).

Class and Assessment Overview

Recommended Student Time Commitment

Each 6-credit Postgraduate unit at CQUniversity requires an overall time commitment of an average of 12.5 hours of study per week, making a total of 150 hours for the unit.

Class Timetable

Bundaberg, Cairns, Emerald, Gladstone, Mackay, Rockhampton, Townsville
Adelaide, Brisbane, Melbourne, Perth, Sydney

Assessment Overview

1. Written Assessment
Weighting: Pass/Fail
2. Online Test
Weighting: Pass/Fail

Assessment Grading

This is a pass/fail (non-graded) unit. To pass the unit, you must pass all of the individual assessment tasks shown in the table above.

Previous Student Feedback

Feedback, Recommendations and Responses

Every unit is reviewed for enhancement each year. At the most recent review, the following staff and student feedback items were identified and recommendations were made.

Feedback from Unit coordinator reflection.

Feedback

Students found the academic level of the assessment new and difficult.

Recommendation

Include an additional zoom tutorial in week two of the unit on the assessment requirements. Recommend to students that they submit a draft assignment for feedback before final assignment submission.

Feedback from In calss feedback.

Feedback

Unit moodle site easy to navigate.

Recommendation

Ensure any revision of the unit moodle site does not add to the complexity of site navigation.

Unit Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:
  1. Describe general anatomy, biomechanics and pathophysiology of the musculoskeletal system and related structures
  2. Differentiate normal and simple abnormal ultrasound appearance of the musculoskeletal system and related structures
  3. Differentiate ultrasound appearance of the musculoskeletal system from anatomical structures and pathology of other body systems
  4. Interpret static and dynamic diagnostic ultrasound images to provide a provisional differential diagnosis.

This unit will not require external accreditation but will apply to appropriate profession specific bodies for recognition for Continuing Professional Development (CPD) related to Basic Soft Tissue Ultrasound.

Alignment of Learning Outcomes, Assessment and Graduate Attributes
N/A Level
Introductory Level
Intermediate Level
Graduate Level
Professional Level
Advanced Level

Alignment of Assessment Tasks to Learning Outcomes

Assessment Tasks Learning Outcomes
1 2 3 4
1 - Online Test - 0%
2 - Written Assessment - 0%

Alignment of Graduate Attributes to Learning Outcomes

Graduate Attributes Learning Outcomes
1 2 3 4
1 - Knowledge
2 - Communication
3 - Cognitive, technical and creative skills
4 - Research
5 - Self-management
6 - Ethical and Professional Responsibility
7 - Leadership
8 - Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Cultures

Alignment of Assessment Tasks to Graduate Attributes

Assessment Tasks Graduate Attributes
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
1 - Online Test - 0%
2 - Written Assessment - 0%
Textbooks and Resources

Textbooks

Prescribed

Ultrasound of the Musculoskeletal System

Edition: First (2007)
Authors: Stefano Bianchi and Carlo Martinoli
Springer-Verlag
New York New York , New York , USA
ISBN: 978-3-540-28163-4
Binding: eBook

Additional Textbook Information

The prescribed text for MEDS20010 is available as a free digital download from CQUniversity library.

IT Resources

You will need access to the following IT resources:
  • CQUniversity Student Email
  • Internet
  • Unit Website (Moodle)
  • Camera and microphone for attending Zoom tutorials
Referencing Style

All submissions for this unit must use the referencing style: American Psychological Association 6th Edition (APA 6th edition)

For further information, see the Assessment Tasks.

Teaching Contacts
Brendan Goode Unit Coordinator
b.goode@cqu.edu.au
Schedule
Week 1 Begin Date: 11 Nov 2019

Module/Topic

Introduction and Information about Assessment items

Chapter

Lectures and notes on Moodle site.

Events and Submissions/Topic

Zoom tutorial Monday 7pm AEST (Australian Eastern Standard Time).

Week 2 Begin Date: 18 Nov 2019

Module/Topic

Radiologic and sonographic terminology and technical requirements

Chapter

Chapter 1 of prescribed text available from the library (digital copy) as a free download.


Prescribed Textbook

Ultrasound of the Musculoskeletal System 1 (2007)

Authors: Stefano Bianchi and Carlo Martinoli



Additional readings and lectures on course Moodle site.

Events and Submissions/Topic


Week 3 Begin Date: 25 Nov 2019

Module/Topic

Skin and subcutaneous structures

Chapter

Chapter 2 of prescribed text available from the library (digital copy)

Additional readings and lectures on course Moodle site.

Events and Submissions/Topic

Zoom tutorial Monday 7pm AEST (Australian Eastern Standard Time).

Week 4 Begin Date: 02 Dec 2019

Module/Topic

Muscles and Fasciae

Chapter

Chapter 3 of prescribed text available from the library (digital copy)

Additional readings and lectures on course Moodle site.

Events and Submissions/Topic


Vacation Week Begin Date: 09 Dec 2019

Module/Topic

Chapter

Events and Submissions/Topic

Week 5 Begin Date: 16 Dec 2019

Module/Topic

Tendons, sheaths and retinaculae

Chapter

Chapter 3 of prescribed text available from the library (digital copy)

Additional readings and lectures on course Moodle site.

Events and Submissions/Topic

Zoom tutorial Monday 7pm AEST (Australian Eastern Standard Time).

Week 6 Begin Date: 23 Dec 2019

Module/Topic

Bursae and fat pads

Chapter

Lectures and notes on Moodle site.

Additional readings and lectures on course Moodle site.

Events and Submissions/Topic


Week 7 Begin Date: 06 Jan 2020

Module/Topic

Nerves and Vessels

Chapter

Chapter 4 of prescribed text available from the library (digital copy)

Additional readings and lectures on course Moodle site.

Events and Submissions/Topic

Zoom tutorial Monday 7pm AEST (Australian Eastern Standard Time).

Week 8 Begin Date: 13 Jan 2020

Module/Topic

Ligaments        

Chapter

Lectures and notes on Moodle site.

Additional readings and lectures on course Moodle site.

Events and Submissions/Topic

Oral Presentations

Thursday 1:30 pm AEST.



Written Assessment - e-poster Due: Week 8 Monday (13 Jan 2020) 10:00 am AEST
Week 9 Begin Date: 20 Jan 2020

Module/Topic

Bones and joints

Chapter

Chapter 5 of prescribed text available from the library (digital copy)

Additional readings and lectures on course Moodle site.

Events and Submissions/Topic

Zoom tutorial Monday 7pm AEST.

Week 10 Begin Date: 27 Jan 2020

Module/Topic

Soft tissue characterisation.

Chapter

Lectures and notes on Moodle site.

Additional readings and lectures on course Moodle site.

Events and Submissions/Topic

Zoom tutorial Thursday 7pm AEST.

Week 11 Begin Date: 03 Feb 2020

Module/Topic

Interventional techniques

Chapter

Chapter 18 of prescribed text available from the library (digital copy)

Additional readings and lectures on course Moodle site.

Events and Submissions/Topic

Zoom tutorial Monday 7pm AEST.

Week 12 Begin Date: 10 Feb 2020

Module/Topic

Revision and online test

Chapter

Events and Submissions/Topic

Online Test open: Week 12 Monday 9:00 am AEST.

Exam Week Begin Date: 17 Feb 2020

Module/Topic

Chapter

Events and Submissions/Topic

Online Test Due: Exam Week Monday (17 Feb 2020) 9:00 am AEST
Term Specific Information

MEDS20010 is a foundational unit for the graduate certificate in soft tissue sonography and will introduce you to concepts related to sonographic image production and interpretation. There will be regular zoom tutorials throughout term which are designed to enhance your understanding of sonographic image interpretation in a collaborative learning environment and provide you with the opportunity to ask questions related to the unit Moodle content or assessment tasks. 

Assessment Tasks

1 Written Assessment

Assessment Title
Written Assessment - e-poster

Task Description

In your role as a health professional you may be asked to complete a presentation, for example, at a conference where e-posters are common.  In this assessment task you will develop skills associated with producing an e-poster which will enable you to undertake this task for any topic.  In addition you will be orally presenting your e-poster at a Zoom session attended by students enrolled in the unit and your unit coordinator. During the oral presentation of your e-poster, you will be asked to share your understanding of your topic with your peers. Your peers will then provide feedback related to your presentation to the unit coordinator and this feedback will contribute to your overall assessment grade.  Please note the e-poster is due Monday of week 8 with the Zoom presentations of your e-poster scheduled for Thursday of week 8 at 1:30 pm AEST.

You are required to develop an educational e-poster that clearly presents the use of ultrasound to examine a specific musculoskeletal (MSK) structure or pathology.

  • The presentation must be limited to eight (8) slides excluding the title and reference slides
  • An abstract is required to accompany the e-poster, but not included within the poster
  • The e-poster should be written at a level suitable for presentation at a conference
  • You must state which conference you would intend it to be presented to (nominate your intended audience)
  • The first slide should be the title slide which should contain the title of the presentation, your name and qualifications
  • Each content slide should have clear headings and be presented in a logical, clear and visually appealing fashion
  • The area outlined in the poster should be clinically relevant to the practice of musculoskeletal sonography
  • The anatomy, sonographic appearance of normal and abnormal structures, and a discussion of why the examination may be undertaken along with the pathology that may be encountered in the region should be discussed.

You are required to have researched, analysed, critically reflected on and synthesized current (less than 10 yrs post publication) medical literature from peer reviewed sources. A high level of communication needs to be utilized to convey a clear message with all anatomical images being of high quality, well labelled and correctly referenced. Please note all slides are required to be in 'landscape' format.


 


Assessment Due Date

Week 8 Monday (13 Jan 2020) 10:00 am AEST

On-line via Moodle


Return Date to Students

Week 10 Monday (27 Jan 2020)

Results will be available in the Moodle site with feedback.


Weighting
Pass/Fail

Minimum mark or grade
50%

Assessment Criteria

The written component of your e-poster will be assessed on academic writing quality and should address the following points;

  • The e-poster should contain organized, logical and coherent content with a clear and concise message
  • Please use numbers and bullets to highlight points. Your poster will be assessed on the accurate use of spelling, grammar and terminology suitable for the target audience
  • Content of e-poster - the purpose of the poster should be clear and relevant to the field of musculoskeletal sonography
  • The anatomy, sonographic appearance and pathophysiology of a particular structure or tissue should be presented with diagrams and images used to support the discussion
  • Evidence based content must be used.

Suitability for presentation - The e-poster should be suitable for presentation at the chosen conference and the subject matter relevant to the selected audience. Referencing - In-text references and the reference list must be all accurate, complete and in the correct Vancouver style with high quality and appropriate sources utilized.

The oral component of your e-poster will be assessed on the following points;

  • Presentation content
  • Presentation delivery
  • Use of audio-visual aids

The marking rubric to be used for this assessment is available on the unit Moodle site in week one along with the oral presentation feedback form which provides more detail related to the oral presentation.


Referencing Style

Submission
Online

Submission Instructions
e-poster online via unit Moodle site while oral presentation feedback forms are to be scanned and emailed to the unit coordinator at the completion of the oral presentation Zoom session in week 8.

Learning Outcomes Assessed
  • Differentiate ultrasound appearance of the musculoskeletal system from anatomical structures and pathology of other body systems
  • Interpret static and dynamic diagnostic ultrasound images to provide a provisional differential diagnosis.


Graduate Attributes
  • Knowledge
  • Communication
  • Cognitive, technical and creative skills
  • Self-management

2 Online Test

Assessment Title
Online Test

Task Description

Health professionals are required to possess a body of knowledge that is relevant to their scope of practice whereby fundamental knowledge is required to be understood and then be built upon clinically. To demonstrate your understanding and knowledge of this unit you are required to complete an online test.

  • This test must be accessed through the assessment tab on Moodle and will comprise 10 questions addressing multiple weeks of content requiring written responses to be completed in a 90 minute time frame.
  • The test will be open from Monday the 10th of February at 9 am (AEST) and will close on Monday 17th of February at 9 am (AEST)
  • You will need to allocate a 90 minute period throughout the time the test is open in order to complete the test. Please note: You MUST start the test before 7:30 am (AEST) on Monday the 17th of February as the test will automatically close at 9 am (AEST) Monday 17th of February.
  • The test will be open for 90 minutes (allowing 9 minutes per question) with only ONE attempt being allowed
  • Once started the test cannot be paused, stopped, re-started or re-taken
  • Questions will be drawn from a pool of questions to allow each student test to be unique whilst addressing the same learning outcomes for each student. Image viewing questions may be included and you are required to be familiar with normal and pathological sonographic imaging of the areas discussed in this unit
  • As this test is online and open book, you will find it useful if you have produced your own notes from the lectures and tutorials and that you are familiar with the unit information
  • You may benefit from having a calculator available when sitting the test

This assessment is to be undertaken as an individual. As with all other university examinations, colluding with other students on non-group work tasks is considered academic misconduct and may lead to action being taken by the University.


Assessment Due Date

Exam Week Monday (17 Feb 2020) 9:00 am AEST

The online test will be automatically submitted at the completion of the test or once the time limit is reached, whichever occurs first.


Return Date to Students

Exam Week Friday (21 Feb 2020)

Results will be available in the unit Moodle site.


Weighting
Pass/Fail

Minimum mark or grade
50%

Assessment Criteria

You must provide short to medium length typed responses to a series of online questions.

Image viewing questions may be included and you are required to be familiar with both normal and pathological sonographic appearances.

The test will comprise of 10 questions with each question worth 10 marks (giving a maximum of 100 marks available)

Responses will be assessed according to:

  • use of appropriate terminology and descriptors as well as grammar, spelling, relevance of response and competence in addressing all elements of the question
  • the ability to appropriately interpret sonographic images and then to succinctly compose an appropriate response based on their learning from the unit.

No referencing style is required in the online test.


Referencing Style

Submission
Online

Submission Instructions
Test will be online, accessed through the assessment tab on Moodle and will comprise 10 questions requiring answers. The test will be open for 90 minutes and once started cannot be paused or retaken. The online test will be automatically submitted once completed or the time limit of 90 minutes has been reached.

Learning Outcomes Assessed
  • Describe general anatomy, biomechanics and pathophysiology of the musculoskeletal system and related structures
  • Differentiate normal and simple abnormal ultrasound appearance of the musculoskeletal system and related structures
  • Differentiate ultrasound appearance of the musculoskeletal system from anatomical structures and pathology of other body systems
  • Interpret static and dynamic diagnostic ultrasound images to provide a provisional differential diagnosis.


Graduate Attributes
  • Knowledge
  • Communication
  • Cognitive, technical and creative skills

Academic Integrity Statement

As a CQUniversity student you are expected to act honestly in all aspects of your academic work.

Any assessable work undertaken or submitted for review or assessment must be your own work. Assessable work is any type of work you do to meet the assessment requirements in the unit, including draft work submitted for review and feedback and final work to be assessed.

When you use the ideas, words or data of others in your assessment, you must thoroughly and clearly acknowledge the source of this information by using the correct referencing style for your unit. Using others’ work without proper acknowledgement may be considered a form of intellectual dishonesty.

Participating honestly, respectfully, responsibly, and fairly in your university study ensures the CQUniversity qualification you earn will be valued as a true indication of your individual academic achievement and will continue to receive the respect and recognition it deserves.

As a student, you are responsible for reading and following CQUniversity’s policies, including the Student Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure. This policy sets out CQUniversity’s expectations of you to act with integrity, examples of academic integrity breaches to avoid, the processes used to address alleged breaches of academic integrity, and potential penalties.

What is a breach of academic integrity?

A breach of academic integrity includes but is not limited to plagiarism, self-plagiarism, collusion, cheating, contract cheating, and academic misconduct. The Student Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure defines what these terms mean and gives examples.

Why is academic integrity important?

A breach of academic integrity may result in one or more penalties, including suspension or even expulsion from the University. It can also have negative implications for student visas and future enrolment at CQUniversity or elsewhere. Students who engage in contract cheating also risk being blackmailed by contract cheating services.

Where can I get assistance?

For academic advice and guidance, the Academic Learning Centre (ALC) can support you in becoming confident in completing assessments with integrity and of high standard.

What can you do to act with integrity?