Be careful what you wish for!
We've all had patients arrive at clinic requesting a scan for an injury, or heard of the athlete who has been injured and 'sent for a scan' as if that itself will both diagnose & cure the problem!
An article in the New York Times health section reveals that some medics in sports' medicine may be relying on MRI scans instead of taking full and proper histories & examinations. You can feel content that SPACE ensures that we all have plenty of time to listen & look, and then only request scans if we feel it may really aid with the diagnosis or change the plan for the patient. Some patients & athletes however may wish for what they perceive as 'fancy tests', and almost will their practitioners to 'place an order' for a scan!
"MRIs can be extremely useful in sports medicine" Dr Andrew Green is quoted as saying. He is Head of shoulder and elbow surgery at Brown University, but cautions that there is a fine line between appropriate use and overuse.
We've all had patients arrive at clinic requesting a scan for an injury, or heard of the athlete who has been injured and 'sent for a scan' as if that itself will both diagnose & cure the problem!
"MRIs can be extremely useful in sports medicine" Dr Andrew Green is quoted as saying. He is Head of shoulder and elbow surgery at Brown University, but cautions that there is a fine line between appropriate use and overuse.
 |
| Dr James Andrews |
Is there a risk they may identify issues in healthy & painfree bodies?
Dr James Andrews, a widely known sports medicine othopaedist in Gulf Breeze, Florida scanned the shoulders of 31 perfectly healthy professional baseball pitchers. The M.R.I.’s found abnormal shoulder cartilage in 90 percent of them and abnormal rotator cuff tendons in 87 percent.
"If you want an excuse to operate on a pitcher's throwing shoulder, just get an M.R.I" Dr Andrews remarks.
Dr James Andrews, a widely known sports medicine othopaedist in Gulf Breeze, Florida scanned the shoulders of 31 perfectly healthy professional baseball pitchers. The M.R.I.’s found abnormal shoulder cartilage in 90 percent of them and abnormal rotator cuff tendons in 87 percent.
"If you want an excuse to operate on a pitcher's throwing shoulder, just get an M.R.I" Dr Andrews remarks.
Note that Magnetic Resonance Imaging (the M.R.I.) is a very sensitive, but it is not very specific, therefore scans may almost always find something abnormal, although most abnormalities are of no consequence.
Ensure you discuss the options and the results with your health or sports' medicine professionals.
No comments:
Post a Comment