Private Hand Ultrasound Scan in London

At London Private Ultrasound a hand ultrasound scan is £199 for one hand, or £299 for a combined hand & wrist scan, all-inclusive, at our Central London (Harley Street Medical District) and St Albans clinics. The price covers an MSK-specialist appointment, a full assessment of the flexor tendons and the A1 to A5 pulleys, the extensor tendons, the thumb ligament and joints, the finger joints and any lump in the palm or fingers, watched live as the fingers move, with same-day verbal results and a full written report within 24 hours.

There are no added fees, and we will share the report with your GP, physiotherapist or hand specialist on request. Across the UK a private hand ultrasound typically costs from around £150 to £300, and the difference usually comes down to who performs and reports the scan and whether the assessment is dynamic. Adding the wrist saves against booking a hand scan and a wrist scan separately.

A hand ultrasound shows the soft tissues of the hand and fingers in high resolution and in real time: the flexor tendons that bend the fingers and the A1 to A5 pulleys that hold them to the bone, the extensor tendons, the thumb ulnar collateral ligament and A1 pulley, the small knuckle joints (MCP, PIP and DIP) and their lining, the palmar fascia, the digital nerves, and any lump in the palm or fingers.

It identifies trigger finger, tendon tears and tenosynovitis, ganglion cysts and other soft-tissue lumps, gamekeeper’s thumb, Dupuytren’s contracture, joint inflammation in rheumatoid, psoriatic and osteoarthritis, and foreign bodies. Because it is dynamic, it also shows problems that only appear on movement, such as a finger catching as it bends. Choosing the hand & wrist scan adds the median nerve in the carpal tunnel, De Quervain’s first compartment and the wrist tendons, joint and ganglia.

Yes. Ultrasound is the first-line imaging test for trigger finger, also called stenosing tenosynovitis. It shows the structural cause directly: thickening of the A1 pulley at the base of the finger, a nodule or thickening of the flexor tendon, and fluid within the tendon sheath. Its real advantage is motion — trigger finger is a mechanical problem, a thickened tendon catching on a narrowed pulley, and the clinician can watch the catch happen as you bend and straighten the finger. Trigger thumb behaves the same way.

Many clear-cut cases are a clinical diagnosis that does not need a scan, and we will tell you honestly if that is the case. Ultrasound helps most when the picture is unclear, before an injection, or when the finger locks. An ultrasound-guided A1 pulley injection is more accurate than a blind injection.

Trigger finger is caused by a mismatch between a thickened flexor tendon and the A1 pulley it glides through at the base of the finger, so the tendon catches and then releases with a snap. Sustained forceful gripping is more associated with it than typing.

It is more common, and more likely to affect several fingers or both hands at once, in people with diabetes, an underactive thyroid, rheumatoid arthritis or gout, and it is more common in women and in middle age. Bilateral trigger fingers are one of the situations where scanning both hands, or a hand & wrist scan, is genuinely useful, because it lets the clinician compare sides and look for an underlying inflammatory or metabolic cause rather than treating each finger in isolation.

Yes. Ultrasound is an excellent test for a ganglion cyst and for any lump in the hand, palm, finger or wrist. It confirms whether a lump is a fluid-filled ganglion or something solid, measures it, and shows its relationship to the nearby tendon, joint or nerve, which is exactly what a hand surgeon needs to plan. Dorsal and volar wrist ganglia, flexor sheath (seed) ganglia at the base of a finger and mucous cysts at the end joint are all readily seen.

If a ganglion is pressing on a nerve or is to be aspirated, ultrasound guides that safely. A lump that is solid, growing or painful is characterised and, where needed, flagged for a specialist opinion.

Yes. Ultrasound is a first-line test for tendonitis and tenosynovitis around the wrist and hand. It shows fluid and thickening within a tendon sheath, increased blood flow on Doppler where the tendon is actively inflamed, and any tendon tear. It is the standard test for De Quervain’s tenosynovitis, which affects the tendons on the thumb side of the wrist in the first extensor compartment, and for the other wrist tendons such as the extensor carpi ulnaris.

Because the scan is dynamic, the clinician can also reproduce the movements that hurt. These wrist structures are covered when you choose the hand & wrist scan; the hand-only scan focuses on the fingers, thumb and palm.

Yes, when you choose the hand & wrist scan. Ultrasound is a useful first-line test for carpal tunnel syndrome, which is compression of the median nerve at the wrist causing numbness, tingling and pain in the thumb, index and middle fingers, often worse at night. The scan images the median nerve, measures its cross-sectional area where it is enlarged just before the tunnel, and looks for a cause such as tenosynovitis, a ganglion or an anatomical variant.

Nerve conduction studies remain the reference test for grading severity, and the two are often used together. If a carpal tunnel steroid injection is appropriate, placing it under ultrasound guidance keeps the needle away from the nerve.

Yes. Ultrasound accurately assesses the ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) at the base of the thumb, the ligament injured in gamekeeper’s or skier’s thumb, and can tell a partial tear from a complete tear. Crucially, it detects a Stener lesion, where the torn ligament end flips out of position above the adductor aponeurosis.

This distinction changes treatment: a Stener lesion does not heal without surgery, whereas most partial tears are managed in a splint. Ultrasound gives this answer immediately and can be done with gentle stress to the joint, which guides whether you need a hand surgeon.

For the tendons, pulleys, ligaments, small joints, nerves and lumps of the hand and fingers, high-resolution ultrasound is an excellent first-line test, and it has one advantage MRI does not: it images the hand moving, which is how a triggering finger and tendon catching are best seen. It is also quick, comfortable and lets the clinician press on exactly where it hurts.

MRI is better for the deep bones and cartilage, for a scaphoid or other suspected fracture that an X-ray has not settled, for bone marrow changes, and for the deeper ligaments of the wrist. In practice, ultrasound is the ideal first test for most hand and finger problems, and we will tell you clearly if an X-ray or MRI is the better next step.

Ultrasound is a soft-tissue test, so for a suspected broken bone in the hand or wrist an X-ray is the correct first test. Ultrasound can sometimes show a step in the surface of a bone or an avulsion fragment where a ligament has pulled off, but it does not replace an X-ray. A suspected scaphoid fracture at the wrist is a particular case that needs an X-ray and sometimes an MRI, because it can be missed and matters.

If you have had significant trauma, cannot use the hand, or have bony tenderness, please attend urgent care or A&E for an X-ray first. Ultrasound is the right test once a fracture has been excluded and the question is whether a tendon, ligament or joint is damaged.

Yes. If the scan confirms a treatable problem, an ultrasound-guided injection can often be arranged: an A1 pulley injection for trigger finger, a De Quervain’s first-compartment injection, a carpal tunnel injection for the median nerve, a small joint injection for arthritis, or aspiration and injection of a ganglion.

Placing the needle under live ultrasound means it goes exactly where it is needed and, for trigger finger and carpal tunnel, is more reliable and safer than a blind injection. Our one-stop orthopaedic and MSK clinic can take you from scan to treatment quickly. Treatment is booked and charged separately from the scan.

We are a diagnostic ultrasound clinic and do not perform hand surgery, so this is for general guidance only. Privately in the UK, common day-case hand operations such as a trigger finger release, carpal tunnel decompression or ganglion removal typically cost in the region of £1,500 to £3,500 depending on the procedure, the hospital and the surgeon, with more complex reconstruction costing more.

Many hand problems do not need surgery at all: trigger finger, De Quervain’s and carpal tunnel often respond to a guided injection, and a ganglion can sometimes be aspirated. A hand ultrasound is a good first step because it confirms exactly what is wrong, so any surgical opinion and quote is based on a clear diagnosis.

Book the hand scan (£199) if your symptoms are in the fingers, thumb or palm: a clicking or locking finger, a lump in the palm, a painful thumb base, or swollen finger joints. Book the hand & wrist scan (£299, our most booked option) if your symptoms also involve the wrist, or if you have numbness or tingling in the fingers (carpal tunnel), thumb-side wrist pain (De Quervain’s), a wrist ganglion, or pain that spans the hand and wrist, which is very common. The combined scan saves against booking a hand scan and a wrist scan separately.

If both hands are affected, for example bilateral trigger fingers or inflammatory arthritis, a both-hands option can be selected in the booking calendar above. If you are unsure, call 020 7101 3377 and we will tell you which appointment to book.

The NHS does offer hand ultrasound, but usually only after a GP referral and often after a wait for the appointment and a further wait for the report.

A private hand ultrasound is for people who want a fast, specialist answer, frequently the same or next day, with the findings explained in the room and a written report they can share with their GP, physiotherapist, rheumatologist or hand surgeon. No GP referral is required to book with us, and we work alongside the NHS: if your scan shows something that needs urgent attention, we write a referral letter the same day.

Allow about 20 to 30 minutes for a hand scan, or a little longer for a hand & wrist scan or if both hands are being examined, because the assessment covers the flexor tendons and pulleys, the thumb, the finger joints, the palm and, where included, the median nerve and wrist tendons, with dynamic testing as the fingers move. Your findings are explained straight after the scan and the full written report follows within 24 hours.

You get verbal results the same day: the clinician explains what they have found immediately after the scan, shows you the images and answers your questions. A full written report with images follows the same day or within 24 hours, formatted so you can share it with your GP, physiotherapist, rheumatologist or hand surgeon.

On request, we can send the report directly to them to speed up your next step.

No, a GP referral is not required. You can self-refer and book directly online, by phone on 020 7101 3377, or on WhatsApp, with same-day and next-day appointments often available at both clinics.

If you have previous X-ray, ultrasound or MRI reports, or rheumatology blood results, bring them so the clinician can read today’s findings in context.

It is painless and non-invasive. You sit with your hand resting on a couch, warm gel is applied to the skin, and the clinician moves a small high-frequency probe over the fingers, thumb, palm and, if included, the wrist, viewing the structures on screen. There are no needles and nothing internal.

You will be asked to bend and straighten the fingers and thumb so a catching or triggering tendon can be seen in motion. If a movement is uncomfortable because of your symptoms, tell the clinician and they will adapt. You can use the hand normally straight afterwards.

Ultrasound is radiation-free and can be appropriate for children in the right circumstances, for example a trigger thumb, a lump, or a hand injury. Please call us on 020 7101 3377 first so we can confirm suitability and arrange the right appointment with the right clinician. A parent or guardian stays in the room throughout.

London Private Ultrasound has two clinics. Central London is at 27 Welbeck Street, W1G 8EN, in the Harley Street Medical District, a short walk from Bond Street, Oxford Circus and Marylebone. St Albans is at 54–56 Victoria Street, AL1 3HZ, serving Hertfordshire and North London.

Both offer the £199 hand scan and the £299 hand & wrist scan, seven days a week, 9am to 7pm, with MSK-specialist clinicians and same-day and next-day appointments often available.