In recent years, ultrasound imaging technology has developed rapidly, which is widely used in various musculoskeletal diseases. Inflammatory arthritis (IJA) is a rheumatic disease with idiopathic aseptic inflammation of peripheral joints. As a non-radiation, high-resolution, low-cost and non-invasive examination method, high-frequency ultrasound can be used for the evaluation of IJA. This essay reviews the common ultrasonic manifestations of IJA, such as synovitis, tenosynovitis, bone erosion, adhesivitis and bursitis, summarizes the existing scoring system for the above ultrasonic manifestations, and makes a prospect for the application and rating standard of high-frequency ultrasound in the diagnosis of IJA.