Imaging Technology

Continued...

As a result, most MRI machines are located at a separate center and are used as a resource by many different specialists. Overall, MRI is an effective diagnostic tool to facilitate efficient treatment, but the caveat is to demonstrate cost-effectiveness.

Most physicians will order MRI only if they are uncertain of the diagnosis after doing a complete history and physical examination coupled with ordinary X-ray or other diagnostic techniques. Other physicians will order an MRI as part of a presurgical workup to better define the extent of injury and guide their surgical approach.

MRI will indeed give your surgeon more information about your injury; but, like all diagnostic tests, there are false positives and false negatives. Some MRI machines are more accurate than others. A radiologist's skill at reading the MRI image is also important.

Some joints, such as the knee, are better imaged by MRI than others. MRI of the brain and spine, which have been performed for years, tend to be more accurate than MRIs of joints such as the shoulder, wrist and ankle, in which technology and reading expertise are just developing.

Insurance companies are still evaluating the advantages of MRI. Despite the cost, some are requiring MRI to justify the need for advanced treatments such as surgery. Other insurance companies, alarmed by increasing costs, are asking for justification before an MRI is done. As the costs of MRI are reduced and more research is performed, its use and applications are likely to continue to grow.

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About the authors: Carol L. Otis, M.D., is Chief Medical Advisor to the Sanex WTA and UCLA student health physician. Roger Goldingay is a former professional soccer player. They are married and the co-authors of The Athletic Woman's Survival Guide.

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Foreword: Billie Jean King

Comments by Barb Harris
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