What is one of the primary uses of duplex ultrasound in vascular studies?

Duplex ultrasound is primarily utilized in vascular studies to evaluate vessel patency and assess blood flow within the vascular system. By combining traditional ultrasound imaging with Doppler technology, this modality enables clinicians to visualize the structure of blood vessels while simultaneously measuring the velocity of blood flow. This information is crucial for diagnosing conditions such as stenosis, occlusions, or other vascular abnormalities.

The other options focus on areas where duplex ultrasound is not typically applied. For instance, assessing joint health pertains more to musculoskeletal ultrasound rather than vascular evaluation. Measuring blood pressure is a standard clinical procedure that does not require duplex imaging, while visualizing bone density falls within the domain of specialized imaging techniques like dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA), not duplex ultrasound. Thus, the primary function of duplex ultrasound aligns with the assessment of blood flow and vessel patency, making it an essential tool in vascular studies.