Private Wrist Ultrasound Scan in London

At London Private Ultrasound a wrist ultrasound scan is £199 for one wrist, or £299 for a combined wrist & hand scan, all-inclusive, at our Central London (Harley Street Medical District) and St Albans clinics. Both wrists can also be scanned for £299, which suits bilateral carpal tunnel symptoms and inflammatory arthritis.

The price covers an MSK-specialist appointment, a full assessment of the median nerve and carpal tunnel, the six extensor compartments including De Quervain’s, the flexor tendons, the wrist ligaments and joint and any ganglion or lump, watched live as the wrist moves, 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.

Privately in the UK, a single-region musculoskeletal ultrasound such as a wrist scan usually costs somewhere between about £120 and £300, and a two-region scan such as wrist and hand between about £250 and £400. Other private scans sit in a similar band: a shoulder or knee scan is typically £150 to £300, an abdominal or pelvic scan £150 to £350. Wrist scan prices currently advertised by other clinics in and around London include around £160 at The Scan Clinic, £160 to £190 at UKSONO and about £170 at Spital Clinic.

On the NHS an ultrasound is free, but it needs a GP or consultant referral and usually a wait. In the private sector the price differences come down to who performs and reports the scan, whether the assessment is dynamic, how quickly the written report arrives, and whether treatment can follow in the same clinic. Ours is £199 for one wrist with an MSK-specialist clinician, same-day verbal results and a written report within 24 hours.

Yes — an ultrasound scan on wrist tendons, nerves and ligaments is one of the highest-yield tests in musculoskeletal imaging, because everything that commonly causes wrist pain sits within a couple of centimetres of the skin: the tendons, the median and ulnar nerves, the superficial ligaments, the joint lining and any ganglion. A high-frequency probe resolves those structures in fine detail, often better than MRI can.

Because the scan is live, the clinician can bend, rotate and gently stress the wrist while watching, which shows problems that only appear on movement — a snapping extensor carpi ulnaris tendon, or a ganglion that fills when the wrist is flexed. It is radiation-free, painless and takes about 20 to 30 minutes. Its one limitation is bone: for a suspected fracture, especially a scaphoid fracture, an X-ray is the correct first test.

A wrist ultrasound scan shows the soft tissues of the wrist in high resolution and in real time: the median nerve through the carpal tunnel and the ulnar nerve at Guyon’s canal, all six dorsal extensor compartments including the first compartment involved in De Quervain’s and the extensor carpi ulnaris on the ulnar side, the flexor tendons, the dorsal scapholunate ligament and the peripheral TFCC region, the radiocarpal and midcarpal joints and their lining, and any ganglion, lump or foreign body.

It identifies carpal tunnel syndrome, De Quervain’s tenosynovitis, tendon tears and tenosynovitis, ECU instability, ganglion cysts, joint inflammation and early erosions in rheumatoid and psoriatic arthritis, and gout. Because it is dynamic, it also shows problems that only appear on movement. Choosing the wrist & hand scan adds the finger flexor tendons and A1–A5 pulleys for trigger finger, the thumb ligament, the finger joints and the palm.

Yes. Ultrasound is the first-line test for a ganglion cyst and for any lump at the wrist, and it is often the only imaging needed. It confirms whether the lump is a fluid-filled ganglion or something solid, measures it, finds the stalk connecting it to the joint or tendon sheath, and shows its relationship to the nearby tendons, arteries and nerves — exactly what a hand surgeon needs before deciding on aspiration or excision.

Dorsal wrist ganglia arising from the scapholunate joint and volar ganglia sitting near the radial artery are both readily seen, and an occult ganglion too small to feel but causing pain can often be found. Because the scan is dynamic, a ganglion that only becomes obvious when the wrist is flexed can be demonstrated. If aspiration or a guided injection is appropriate, ultrasound places the needle safely away from the artery and nerve. A lump that is solid, growing or painful is characterised and, where needed, flagged for a specialist opinion.

Yes, and ultrasound is generally better than MRI for it, because it compares the painful tendon directly with the same tendon on the other side and lets the clinician press on exactly where it hurts. It shows a thickened tendon, fluid within the tendon sheath, increased blood flow on Doppler where the tendon is actively inflamed, and any partial or complete tear.

It is the standard test for De Quervain’s tenosynovitis in the first extensor compartment on the thumb side, for extensor carpi ulnaris tenosynovitis and instability on the little-finger side, for intersection syndrome in the forearm, and for flexor carpi radialis and flexor carpi ulnaris problems. Because the scan is live, the clinician can reproduce the movements that hurt and watch the tendon glide. If a guided injection is appropriate, it can often follow.

Yes. Ultrasound is a useful first-line test for carpal tunnel syndrome — compression of the median nerve at the wrist causing numbness, tingling and pain in the thumb, index and middle fingers, often worse at night and often in both hands. The scan images the median nerve along its course, measures its cross-sectional area where it enlarges just before it enters the tunnel, and looks for a cause: tenosynovitis of the surrounding flexor tendons, a ganglion, a bifid nerve or a persistent median artery.

Nerve conduction studies remain the reference test for grading severity and the two are often used together, but ultrasound answers a question nerve conduction cannot: why the nerve is compressed. If a carpal tunnel steroid injection is appropriate, placing it under live ultrasound guidance keeps the needle away from the nerve and is more accurate than a blind injection.

Yes, and it is the test of choice. De Quervain’s is inflammation of the abductor pollicis longus and extensor pollicis brevis tendons in the first extensor compartment on the thumb side of the wrist, common after childbirth, with repetitive gripping and lifting, and with heavy phone or keyboard use. Ultrasound shows the thickened tendon sheath and retinaculum, fluid around the tendons and active inflammation on Doppler.

It also shows something that changes treatment: a septum dividing the compartment into two separate sub-compartments, which is a common reason a blind steroid injection fails, because the injection reaches only one side. Where a septum is present, the injection can be placed into both sub-compartments under ultrasound guidance.

Partly, and it is worth being precise about this. Ultrasound assesses the superficial parts of the wrist ligaments well: the dorsal scapholunate ligament, the superficial and peripheral portion of the triangular fibrocartilage complex, the ulnar collateral structures and the extensor carpi ulnaris subsheath, whose disruption is a common cause of ulnar-sided wrist pain after a fall or a racquet-sport injury. It also shows the associated findings — joint fluid, synovitis, and dynamic widening at the scapholunate interval on gentle stress.

What it cannot do is see the deep central portion of the TFCC or the interosseous ligaments in full. If those are the question, MRI, MR arthrogram or arthroscopy is the definitive test, and our report will say so clearly rather than leave you uncertain.

For the tendons, the median and ulnar nerves, ganglia and lumps, the joint lining and the superficial ligaments, high-resolution ultrasound is an excellent first-line test and is often better than MRI, because it resolves these small superficial structures in finer detail, compares them with the other wrist, lets the clinician press on the exact painful spot, and images the wrist moving — which is how a snapping tendon or an unstable ECU is diagnosed.

MRI is better for the bones and cartilage, for a suspected scaphoid fracture that an X-ray has not settled, for bone marrow changes such as avascular necrosis and Kienbock’s disease, and for the deep central TFCC and the interosseous ligaments. In practice, ultrasound is the right first test for most wrist problems, and we will tell you clearly on the day if an X-ray or MRI is the better next step.

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

If you have had a significant fall onto the outstretched hand, cannot use the wrist, have obvious deformity, or have bony tenderness in the anatomical snuffbox at the base of the thumb, 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, nerve or joint is damaged.

Yes. If the scan confirms a treatable problem, an ultrasound-guided injection can often be arranged: a first-compartment injection for De Quervain’s, a carpal tunnel injection around the median nerve, an extensor carpi ulnaris sheath injection, a radiocarpal or thumb-base 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, at the wrist, keeps it away from the median and ulnar nerves and the radial artery — which is why guided injections are both safer and more reliable than blind ones here. Our one-stop orthopaedic and MSK clinic can take you from scan to treatment quickly. Treatment is booked and charged separately from the scan.

Book the wrist scan (£199) if your symptoms sit in one wrist: pain, swelling, a lump, thumb-side pain, ulnar-sided pain, or numbness and tingling from carpal tunnel. Book the wrist & hand scan (£299, our most booked option) if the symptoms also involve the fingers, thumb or palm, if a finger clicks, catches or locks, if there is a lump in the palm, or if you are simply not sure where the pain is coming from — which is common, because the wrist and hand share the same tendons and nerves. The combined scan saves against booking a wrist scan and a hand scan separately.

Choose both wrists (£299, selected in the booking calendar above) for bilateral symptoms, which is very common in carpal tunnel syndrome, or for rheumatology monitoring where a left-right comparison is useful. If you are unsure, call 020 7101 3377 and we will tell you which appointment to book.

The NHS does offer wrist 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 wrist ultrasound scan 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 wrist scan, or a little longer for a wrist & hand scan or if both wrists are being examined, because the assessment covers the median and ulnar nerves, the six extensor compartments, the flexor tendons, the ligaments and the joint, with dynamic testing as the wrist moves. 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, nerve conduction study results, 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 arm resting on a couch, warm gel is applied to the skin, and the clinician moves a small high-frequency probe over the back of the wrist, the palm side and both edges, viewing the structures on screen. There are no needles and nothing internal.

You will be asked to bend, straighten and rotate the wrist and to make a fist, so a snapping tendon, an unstable ECU or a ganglion that only appears on movement can be seen in motion, and the clinician will press gently on the tender area to correlate the images with your symptoms. If a movement is uncomfortable, say so and they will adapt. You can use the wrist normally straight afterwards.

Ultrasound is radiation-free and can be appropriate for children in the right circumstances — a lump or ganglion, a suspected foreign body, a soft-tissue injury or juvenile inflammatory arthritis. Please call us on 020 7101 3377 first so we can confirm suitability and arrange a child wrist ultrasound scan with the right clinician. A parent or guardian stays in the room throughout.

If a child has had a fall and there is bony tenderness or deformity, an X-ray rather than an ultrasound is the correct first test, so please attend urgent care first.

Often, yes. Both clinics are open seven days a week from 9am to 7pm and same-day and next-day wrist appointments are frequently available, with no GP referral needed. Call 020 7101 3377 or message us on WhatsApp for today’s availability, or select your time in the booking calendar.

If you are in acute pain after an injury, tell us when you call — a suspected fracture needs an X-ray first, and we will say so rather than book you a scan that will not answer the question.

We are a diagnostic ultrasound clinic and do not perform wrist surgery, so this is for general guidance only. Privately in the UK, common day-case wrist operations such as a carpal tunnel decompression, a De Quervain’s release or a ganglion excision typically cost in the region of £2,000 to £3,500 depending on the procedure, the hospital and the surgeon, with wrist arthroscopy and ligament or TFCC reconstruction costing more.

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

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