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Musculoskeletal Imaging & Interventional Services: MRI

MRI: Shoulder

Your shoulder is a ball-and-socket type joint, lined by cartilage and surrounded by muscles and tendons, also known as the rotator cuff, which is responsible for the movement of your shoulder. Your doctor may order an MRI of the shoulder for a variety of reasons including traumatic injuries such as shoulder dislocations, chronic repetitive injuries, or degenerative changes. Specifically, the shoulder MRI allows your doctor to evaluate the rotator cuff tendons and muscles for tears, which can either be a result of trauma or chronic wear and tear. He or she may also be interested in evaluating the joint itself, including the cartilage and the labrum, a special type of cartilage that forms a ring around the socket of the shoulder, and helps to deepen the socket and provide stability to the shoulder throughout its range of motion. Unfortunately, in certain situations, the labrum may tear and be a source of pain and/or instability. Your doctor may also be interested in evaluating the acromioclavicular joint, a joint that connects the collar bone to the shoulder. This may be traumatized after injury or may develop arthritis with age. Finally, your doctor may order the MRI with an arthrogram, a special procedure which involves injecting the shoulder with contrast just before the MRI. This allows a very detailed evaluation of the internal structures of the joint, more than can be obtained with a conventional MRI without an arthrogram.

Why Come to UCSD?

Our radiologists will provide their expert interpretations of your MRI exam, enabling your doctor to employ the appropriate treatment, whether it be rest, physical rehabilitation or surgical intervention. Our state-of-the-art imaging equipment ensures that you have the highest quality examination.

What Procedures Do We Offer?

MRI, MR arthrography

How to Prepare For Your Exam?

No preparation is required, but alert your doctor if you are allergic to contrast agents used for CT or MRI, or if you have other serious medical conditions, cardiac pacemaker, or other implantable devices.

MRI: Elbow

Your elbow is somewhat of a hinged joint, comprised of three bones: the humerus, radius and ulna. It is supported by tendons and ligaments which may become injured from trauma or chronic repetitive use. Some common causes of elbow pain include tennis and golfer’s elbow which are overuse injuries affecting the tendons on the sides of the elbow. The biceps and triceps tendons which help you bend your elbow, may also be evaluated for injuries. An MRI may also be obtained to look for more serious ligament and tendon injuries related to elbow dislocations. Finally, your doctor may order the MRI with an arthrogram, a special procedure which involves injecting the elbow with contrast just before the MRI. This allows a very detailed evaluation of the internal structures of the joint, more than can be obtained with a conventional MRI without an arthrogram.

Why Come to UCSD?

Our radiologists will provide their expert interpretations of your MRI exam, enabling your doctor to employ the appropriate treatment, whether it be rest, physical rehabilitation or surgical intervention. Our state-of-the-art imaging equipment ensures that you have the highest quality examination.

What Procedures Do We Offer?

MRI, MR arthrography

How to Prepare For Your Exam?

No preparation is required, but alert your doctor if you are allergic to contrast agents used for CT or MRI, or if you have other serious medical conditions, cardiac pacemaker, or other implantable devices.

MRI: Wrist & Hand

The wrist is a complicated joint comprised of several bones and the tendons and ligaments that support it. The bones of the wrist include the two bones of the forearm (the radius and ulna), 8 carpal bones, and the bones the form the hand. The complex anatomy of the wrist allows a great degree of motion. As with other joints, trauma or repetitive injures may cause damage the cartilage, bones, ligaments and tendons of the wrist. Some of these injuries, if not repaired, may lead to premature arthritis of the wrist. Your doctor may request an MR arthrogram of the wrist, a special procedure where the wrist is injected with contrast just before the MRI to yield even better detail of the intrinsic ligaments of the wrist.

Why Come to UCSD?

Our radiologists will provide their expert interpretations of your MRI exam, enabling your doctor to employ the appropriate treatment, whether it be rest, physical rehabilitation or surgical intervention. Our state-of-the-art imaging equipment ensures that you have the highest quality examination.

What Procedures Do We Offer?

MRI, MR arthrography

How to Prepare For Your Exam?

No preparation is required, but alert your doctor if you are allergic to contrast agents used for CT or MRI, or if you have other serious medical conditions, cardiac pacemaker, or other implantable devices.

MRI: Pelvis & Hip

The hip is a ball-and-socket joint. Much like the shoulder, this configuration allows freedom of movement in many directions. Also similar to the shoulder, the socket portion of the hip joint is surrounded by a ring of fibrocartilage called the labrum, which helps to provide stability to the joint. On the outside of the hip joint, muscles and tendons help stabilize the hip and allow its motion. Congenital or developmental abnormalities of the hip joint, trauma, and age-related degeneration can affect all components of the hip including the cartilage, labrum, and surrounding muscles and tendons. Your doctor may order the MRI with an arthrogram, a special procedure which involves injecting the hip joint with contrast just before the MRI. This allows a very detailed evaluation of the internal structures of the joint, more than can be obtained with a conventional MRI without an arthrogram.

Why Come to UCSD?

Our radiologists will provide their expert interpretations of your MRI exam, enabling your doctor to employ the appropriate treatment, whether it be rest, physical rehabilitation or surgical intervention. Our state-of-the-art imaging equipment ensures that you have the highest quality examination.

What Procedures Do We Offer?

MRI, MR arthrography

How to Prepare For Your Exam?

No preparation is required, but alert your doctor if you are allergic to contrast agents used for CT or MRI, or if you have other serious medical conditions, cardiac pacemaker, or other implantable devices.

MRI: Knee

The knee is like a hinged joint. It is supported by four major ligamentous groups, including two cruciate ligaments (anterior and posterior) and by additional ligaments on the inside and outside portions of the knee. These ligaments, along with the muscles and tendons about the knee help to stabilize it. In addition to cartilage lining the knee joint, very important structures called menisci within the knee help to absorb forces in the knee. Any of these structures may become injured, and MRI is helpful in pinpointing these injuries. Occasionally, your doctor may order the MRI with an arthrogram, a special procedure which involves injecting the knee joint with contrast just before the MRI. This allows a very detailed evaluation of the internal structures of the joint, more than can be obtained with a conventional MRI without an arthrogram.

Why Come to UCSD?

Our radiologists will provide their expert interpretations of your MRI exam, enabling your doctor to employ the appropriate treatment, whether it be rest, physical rehabilitation or surgical intervention. Our state-of-the-art imaging equipment ensures that you have the highest quality examination.

What Procedures Do We Offer?

MRI, MR arthrography

How to Prepare For Your Exam?

No preparation is required, but alert your doctor if you are allergic to contrast agents used for CT or MRI, or if you have other serious medical conditions, cardiac pacemaker, or other implantable devices.

 

MRI: Foot & Ankle

The foot/ankle is comprised of multiple individual joints, allowing for complex movements. It is supported by tendons and ligaments. Unfortunately, foot and ankle injuries are fairly common, and your doctor may order and MRI to precisely determine which structures are injured. Foot and ankle infections are also fairly common in patients with diabetes, and MRI is often used to evaluate for suspected deep infections involving the bone. Therefore, your doctor may order an MRI with contrast that is delivered through an IV for added diagnostic quality to your examination.

Why Come to UCSD?

Our radiologists will provide their expert interpretations of your MRI exam, enabling your doctor to employ the appropriate treatment, whether it be rest, physical rehabilitation or surgical intervention. Our state-of-the-art imaging equipment ensures that you have the highest quality examination.

What Procedures Do We Offer?

MRI, MR arthrography

How to Prepare For Your Exam?

No preparation is required, but alert your doctor if you are allergic to contrast agents used for CT or MRI, or if you have other serious medical conditions, cardiac pacemaker, or other implantable devices.

 

MRI: Infection

Musculoskeletal infections may involve joints, bones, and the surrounding soft tissues. These may be the result of disseminated infections in the blood stream or from localized superficial infections that subsequently spread and affect deeper structures. You doctor may order an MRI of a joint or other body part to exclude or diagnose a deep soft tissue or bone and joint infection. This is often performed with intravenous contrast to help enhance areas of infection and find fluid collections.

Why Come to UCSD?

Our radiologists will provide their expert interpretations of your MRI exam, enabling your doctor to employ the appropriate treatment, whether it be rest, physical rehabilitation or surgical intervention. Our state-of-the-art imaging equipment ensures that you have the highest quality examination.

What Procedures Do We Offer?

MRI, MR arthrography

How to Prepare For Your Exam?

No preparation is required, but alert your doctor if you are allergic to contrast agents used for CT or MRI, or if you have other serious medical conditions, cardiac pacemaker, or other implantable devices.

 

MRI: Oncology

There are a wide variety of tumors that affect the musculoskeletal system, both benign and malignant. Your doctor may order an MRI to evaluate a suspected tumor or mass. This is often performed with intravenous contrast to help further delineate the sites of involvement affected by a tumor.

Why Come to UCSD?

Our radiologists will provide their expert interpretations of your MRI exam, enabling your doctor to employ the appropriate treatment, whether it be rest, physical rehabilitation or surgical intervention. Our state-of-the-art imaging equipment ensures that you have the highest quality examination.

What Procedures Do We Offer?

MRI, MR arthrography

How to Prepare For Your Exam?

No preparation is required, but alert your doctor if you are allergic to contrast agents used for CT or MRI, or if you have other serious medical conditions, cardiac pacemaker, or other implantable devices.