Imaging in sports medicine

Muscular, soft tissue, and bony injuries are common among athletes. Different imaging modalities can be used to assess these patients depending on the type of injury and the expert opinion. Multiple imaging modalities are used to diagnose, investigate, and decide an appropriate medical or surgical treatment. Among the modalities that are used, magnetic resonance imaging and ultrasound (US) are commonly used to illustrate soft tissue injuries. Radiographs are cheap and are commonly used. The British Athletic Muscle Injury Classification is a grading system used for muscle injuries and can be used to predict the time it takes for a player to return fully. Tendons and ligaments are graded from 1 to 3, and the Fredericson grading system is used to classify bony injuries. Many of the common sports injuries are graded using these grading systems. Good communication and collaboration among sports physicians, surgeons, and radiologists are essential to adequate injury management in athletes. Appropriate choice of imaging modalities, classification systems, and a knowledge of common sports injuries can facilitate this.