Subtle Soft-Tissue Injuries in Athletes Every Radiologist Must Master

In the world of sports medicine and trauma, the obvious injuries, like a complete tear or displaced fracture, are common and often straightforward to diagnose.

But there are challenges that lie with the more subtle soft-tissue injuries that take more time to assess and diagnose.

These often ‘unseen injuries’ that frequently occur from an aggressive landing while jumping, running hard, or collisions with other cyclists, teammates, or even cars. These injuries are not always easy to diagnose, but they are terribly painful and can leave an athlete out of commission.

If this soft tissue is missed, it can set the athlete up for the wrong treatment program, which could lead to a return to play too early and result in a long-term joint issue.

In this article, we’ll list some common subtle soft-tissue injuries that require a good eye from the radiologist and could change the treatment for the athlete from the initial diagnosis, possibly changing their future.

Bone Bruise

A bone bruise is one of the most common impact injuries and is often overlooked.

The trauma can only be seen on an MRI scan, and even if the STIR imaging is used, it can still be missed if the examiner is too focused on ligaments and tendons. It is like a detective finding a fingerprint in an investigation.

However, a bone bruise can tell you exactly what kind of injury it is (like was there a twisting motion) and which ligaments were likely stretched too far.

This finding confirms the accident’s impact and justifies the patient’s pain, which otherwise might seem unexplained. It provides concrete proof of how the injury happened and explains why a patient might be in severe pain even if nothing appears to be broken or fully torn.

Low-Grade Ligament Sprain

Noting that a ligament is ‘intact’ or ‘torn’ is a simplistic way of explaining an injury that misses the full story.

On a scan, a low-grade sprain has a ligament that is too thick and appears swollen. The fat and muscle around it are also swollen and can look like a puffy cloud around the ligament on the MRI.

Even though the ligament is not fully torn, this low-grade injury is a bigger deal than it seems. It might be an indication that the joint is unstable and might need physical therapy to heal correctly. If it is missed, it can lead to ongoing pain and a higher chance of reinjuring it later.

Muscle Strains

When a muscle is strained or pulled, it usually happens when it tears where the muscle meets a tendon.

A mild stain causes some swelling inside, but on an MRI, it is easy to miss, so you have to play the detective again. Common areas that are normally affected are hamstrings, thighs, and calves. If you are a bike athlete, a crash or a hard hit to the handlebars can cause tears in your thighs and hips.

If you can see how bad a tear is, it can give a better estimate of recovery time and how much physical therapy is needed.

Cartilage Damage

When the smooth cartilage is damaged from a hit or twist injury, it can get a dent or may peel away like wallpaper. The ‘peeling’ can be hard for an MRI to catch, so an Arthrography might be advised to see if the dye can get a better image from the MRI.

This damage can have a big impact on the patient as it can cause early arthritis, and if it’s caught early enough, there might be a chance to fix it.

Hip Pinch That Mimics a Hamstring Injury

This is an unusual injury where the thigh bone and the sitz bone get too close, and they squish a small muscle between them. The pain is often mistaken for sciatica or hamstring strain, so it can often be missed.

If you measure the space between the two bones on the MRI, you should get your answer.

If the space is too small and the muscle is swollen, then you’ll know. If this injury goes untreated, it can change the way you walk and will only get worse.

The Radiologist’s Role

When you know how to identify or look for these subtle injuries, it can change what appeared to be a straightforward report into a document that directs treatments more effectively for the entire team.

These kinds of documents, in cases where the injury carries significant legal and long-term recovery implications, will be extremely helpful.

For example, in a dense urban environment like Chicago, where commuters, recreational, and training cyclists are commonly on the public road, they may be involved in a collision, and they may be suffering from debilitating pain that isn’t immediately apparent.

An accurate diagnosis, taking these subtle findings above into account, might be the foundational evidence. If that’s the case, a Chicago lawyer for bicycle soft-tissue injuries will be the best choice of lawyer to represent you because they both specialize in these types of injuries, and they work under Illinois law, which is important if the accident happened in Chicago.

Your detailed report will help the clinical management in the care of the patient, but also provide an undeniable factual basis for a patient’s claimed injuries, ultimately playing a pivotal role in their holistic recovery.

Conclusion

Sometimes, when things need to happen fast, small, subtle things may not cross your mind, but if there is unexplained pain, take another look. You can be the investigator who gets it right.

Patient care will improve, and recovery will be successful in a quicker manner if the details are in the pudding.