Ankle injury for Dee Milliner, Awaiting MRI...But why do they need an MRI?

As the 2014 NFL preseason progresses, players are beginning to get injuries that will affect their ability to play when the official season begins. New York Jets player, Dee Milliner, sustained what is believed to be a high ankle sprain and is awaiting an MRI after his x-rays were negative for a broken bone. Patients always ask me why they need a test like an MRI if their x-rays are negative for a fracture or broken bone. An MRI is a great diagnostic tool (helps us make our diagnosis) for foot and ankle injuries. MRI looks at small pictures or slices of the injured area, so it can pick up things that are hard to see on x-rays (bones that overlap, especially). Sometimes, even a broken bone may be hard to see on regular x-rays because it is overlapping another bone. Additionally, radiologists can look at soft tissues, such as tendons, muscles, ligaments, blood vessels, and fascia on MRI, rather than on x-rays (which show bone and the outline only of some soft tissues). Finally, MRI can pick up things, such as stress fractures, earlier than conventional x-rays, which can take up to 21 days to show the bone changes associated with a stress fracture in a bone. In the case of this NFL player and others, an MRI will look at the soft tissues that were damaged in this injury and allow physicians to see the extent of the injury, develop a treatment plan, and also determine a return to play date. In Chicagoland, MRI or magnetic resonance imaging is readily available and typically covered by insurance. Additionally, we have local foot and ankle radiologists that give us the most experienced and accurate readings. This allows for better care and better recoveries! If you have foot pain, give us a call, 708-763-0580 or visit oakparkpodiatry.com! Dr. Bender