AMSKU · Sonoanatomy command, then ultrasound-guided orthobiologics
Command the anatomy. Then place the needle.
Dr. Colin Rigney teaches musculoskeletal ultrasound the way it holds up in clinic: command of the sonoanatomy first, hands-on and in person, because accurate injection is downstream of accurate diagnosis.
Sonoanatomy is the skill. The injection is downstream.
The approach is simple and hard to fake: you learn to identify the structure cold under ultrasound, and only then does the needle enter the picture, demonstrated and then handed to you until you can do it without the instructor.
14 years
Time practicing and teaching this work
1,000+
Practitioners trained hands-on to date
- SA
Sonoanatomy first
You learn to find and read the structure under live ultrasound before any needle is discussed. Command of the anatomy is the prerequisite, not a module.
- HO
Hands-on, in person
You work at the table with the probe in your hand. No lecture-only weekends, no watching from the back row.
- ML
Mentor-led to independence
The teaching is built to make you independent. You leave able to do the work yourself, not to book a follow-up.
Credentials & proof
Colin Rigney, PT, DPT, OCS, RMSK
Board certifications in orthopedics and musculoskeletal ultrasonography. CEO and co-founder of the Advanced Musculoskeletal Ultrasound Center (AMSKU); equity partner in Modern Physical Therapy and Sports Medicine; Adjunct Professor of Radiology and Imaging, A.T. Still University Physical Therapy Department.
AMSKU is a full-time teaching organization in Greater Phoenix, Arizona, offering 15 ACCME PRA Category 1 credit hours through the IAME.
Who it is for
Who AMSKU trains
AMSKU teaches licensed clinicians who want command of the sonoanatomy before they place a needle. These are the designations Colin trains, in his own order of priority.
- 01
Orthopedic surgeons
Surgeons who have diversified into orthobiologics.
- 02
Pain management physicians
Physical medicine and rehabilitation (PM&R) and anesthesia pain.
- 03
ER physicians
Emergency medicine, at the point of care.
- 04
Sports medicine physicians
Primary care sports medicine (PCP sports medicine).
- 05
Nurse practitioners
Commonly abbreviated NP.
- 06
Physician assistants
Commonly abbreviated PA.
- 07
Naturopathic physicians
Commonly abbreviated ND.
Every one of them starts in the same place: finding the structure under ultrasound without help. The designation on your badge changes nothing about that order.
How the teaching works
One loop, run until it holds. Every part of the format exists to move the skill from the instructor's hands into yours.
Order matters. The loop runs twice: first on the sonoanatomy, then on the injection. Nobody advances to the needle on a structure they cannot find independently.
- 01
See it
The anatomy is demonstrated live under ultrasound. You watch the structure, the landmarks, and the approach resolve on screen in real time, until you know what correct looks like.
- 02
Do it
You take the probe yourself and find the structure, guided step by step. Only once you can locate it without prompting does the needle come into your hand.
- 03
Own it
You repeat until both are reliable unprompted: the scan that identifies the target, then the placement itself. The bar is simple, you can do it when the instructor is not standing next to you.
- 04
Refine it
Direct, specific feedback on your scanning, your ergonomics, and your accuracy. The rough edges get named and corrected while you work.
Format & duration
Training is hybrid, blending in-person and virtual elements that align with modern schedules and demands. AMSKU is an all-in immersive program that takes clinicians from beginner to RMSK-ready through its Residency Program, in 3, 6 and 12-month tracks to match different backgrounds and needs.
15 ACCME PRA Category 1 credit hours through the IAME. A full-time teaching organization based in Greater Phoenix, Arizona.
What the curriculum covers
Comprehensive diagnostic evaluation protocols for the shoulder, elbow, hand and wrist, hip, knee, and foot and ankle, plus basic injections across 20 different anatomic locations.
AMSKU is rooted in diagnostic authority: doctors are taught to be founded in principle and sonoanatomy recognition. The Residency Program takes the guesswork out of MSK ultrasound training and gives a clear roadmap to competency and RMSK certification.
Watch the anatomy resolve.
A working set of scanning and exam demonstrations, joint by joint — diagnostic exams at the point of care, the kind that keep a patient off an unnecessary imaging referral. Evergreen reference, not news. Each opens on YouTube.
Free resource
Field Guide: Top 5 Shoulder Landmarks for Ultrasound-Guided Injection
Colin's shoulder injection protocols, written as a working reference. Five shoulder landmarks, each one taught the same way: find the anatomy first, then place the needle. Shoulder only — this is the guide he actually teaches from.
The five shoulder landmarks
- Glenohumeral joint
- Acromioclavicular joint
- Subacromial / subdeltoid bursa
- Supraspinatus
- Biceps tendon
For each one
- The sonoanatomy of each landmark: what you must identify before the needle moves
- Patient and practitioner positioning for each approach
- The injection technique itself: probe position, needle orientation, trajectory, target
- Pearls and pitfalls: where placement goes wrong, and the scan that catches it first
The guide arrives by email the moment you submit. No waiting list.
A teacher first.
Most training in this field is built to keep you coming back. Dr. Colin Rigney built AMSKU on the opposite idea: teach the anatomy deeply enough, hands-on enough, that you walk away able to do the work yourself.
That is the whole ethos, and it is not a slogan he is precious about. Teach a man to fish. The measure of a session is not what you watched him do, it is what you can now do without him.
Colin is a physical therapist with board certifications in orthopedics and musculoskeletal ultrasonography. He is the CEO and co-founder of the Advanced Musculoskeletal Ultrasound Center and an equity partner in Modern Physical Therapy and Sports Medicine, each based in the Greater Phoenix Area in Arizona.
He also serves as Adjunct Professor at A.T. Still University in the Physical Therapy Department, where he instructs Radiology and Imaging, and holds teaching and consultatory roles for physician practices, professional organizations and societies.
Over 1,000 clinicians trained across 14 years.