How is imaging used for diagnosis?

Medical imaging enables your doctor to see detailed views of the structures and tissues inside your body. It’s one of the most essential diagnostic tools available.

Using imaging technology, your surgeon at Dearborn and Livonia Orthopedics & Sports Medicine can evaluate your:

• Bones
• Joints
• Muscles
• Tendons
• Ligaments
• Cartilage
• Spine
• Spinal discs
• Nerves

The imaging techniques they use provide invaluable information about the cause of your symptoms and the extent of any damage. That means you can get the best treatment for your condition.

How is imaging used to treat patients?

Imaging plays a vital role in treating patients, providing a real-time view of your musculoskeletal system during advanced procedures like:

• Epidural steroid injections
• Facet joint injections
• Nerve blocks
• Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injections
• Joint replacement surgery
• Fracture repair

Fluoroscopy (moving X-ray) and ultrasound are among the technologies used at the practice.

What kinds of imaging might I need?

There are now many different imaging technologies; some are highly specialized. Those used most frequently at Dearborn and Livonia Orthopedics & Sports Medicine include:

X-rays

X-ray is the original imaging technology and is still invaluable more than a century after its invention. When you have an X-ray, the beams go through your body, which absorbs some and scatters others. This process creates a pattern that a computer interprets and records.

Modern digital X-rays are fast and convenient. They produce clear images of bones and are vital for diagnosing and treating fractures and assessing conditions like arthritis.

CT scan

CT (computed tomography) also uses X-ray technology. The CT scanner takes multiple X-rays that a computer reconstructs to show detailed cross-sections of your body.

Ultrasound (sonography)

Ultrasound uses sound waves at frequencies so high you can’t hear them. The sound bounces off your soft tissues to produce moving images. Ultrasound is best known for diagnosing organ disorders and monitoring during pregnancy, but musculoskeletal ultrasound is also an excellent way of evaluating muscles, tendons, joints, ligaments, and nerves.

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)

MRI combines radiofrequency energy with magnetic fields to produce highly detailed cross-sectional images. It can pick up small abnormalities in the connective tissues and joints that might not be visible using other methods.

Modern imaging technologies use lower amounts of ionizing radiation, so infrequent X-rays and CT scans should pose no threat to your health. The safest scan of all is the ultrasound, which is why it’s the preferred choice for patients who are pregnant.

If you have any questions about imaging or want to know more about Dearborn and Livonia Orthopedics & Sports Medicine’s on-site radiology facilities, call their office, or book an appointment online today.