How to Approach in a Case of Sports Trauma

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Sports injuries are becoming more and more common in both top athletes and recreationalists. The need for fast and reliable diagnosis is exceptional. A proper diagnosis leads to proper treatment and faster return of the injured patient to sports activities. LEARNING POINTS: Keep in mind the most common sports injuries and diagnostic possibilities to reach the fastest and most accurate diagnosis. MAIN BODY: Acute or chronic sports injuries involve different body parts and different tissues: bones, muscles and tendons, ligaments, menisci and labrum, fat tissue, and the neurovascular bundle. Radiography remains the initial modality to detect or exclude the presence of a fracture or joint dislocation. In case of complex fractures or dislocation, computed tomography is the next method of choice. US provides sufficient information in soft-tissue injuries; it is the fastest way and without any harmful consequences for the patient. MRI gives comprehensive information about all injured tissues especially in multi-tissue injuries. SPECT-CT may be useful in cases of chronic trauma or overuse injuries. All of those methods have their own advantages and limitations . Knowledge about the possibilities and limitations of each of these methods is necessary in order to choose the optimal method for establishing a reliable diagnosis in the fastest way. CONCLUSION: The radiographic approach should be tailored to the patient`s history, physical examination and the mechanism of injury. US is a crucial diagnostic method for soft-tissue injury, but MRI will cover whole spectra of injuries and provide the fastest and most accurate diagnostic information. It is a first-line diagnostic modality, especially in top athletes.