The Emory Sports Medicine Center offers a full range of diagnostic procedures to evaluate your condition. These include:
Why is this test done?
X-ray images of the skeletal system and internal organs are used for a wide variety of diagnostic purposes. X-rays are especially useful in showing detailed images of skeletal structure. They are more limited in their ability to reveal injuries or abnormalities in soft tissues such as tendons and ligaments.
What happens during the procedure?
To make X-ray images, electromagnetic radiation is passed through the body, and captured on film in the form of a radiograph. You may be asked to lie above film plates, or stand in front of them. The X-ray technician will align the X-ray machine to take images only of the parts of the body specified by your doctor. In recent years, sensitive films have greatly reduced the amount of radiation required to produce a radiograph.
Why is this test done?
A nuclear bone scan is a diagnostic exam used to detect or rule out damage to bones caused by disease, injury or infection. The bone scan can detect bone damage earlier than other diagnostic procedures.
What happens during the procedure?
A specially trained technologist performs the exam. The technologist injects a small amount of a radioactive enhancement agent into your vein. Typically, you will need to wait two to three hours as the material travels through your blood stream to the bones. While waiting, remember to drink as much fluid as possible. The quality of the images depends on how much you drink.
At the time of the scan you will lie flat on the table while a special camera is placed near your body. The camera detects highlights or "hot spots" in your bones.
Images will be taken of your entire skeletal system and/or some part of it. The camera is moved manually above and below your entire body. You must lie as still as possible; any movement can interfere with the clarity of the images.
Allow yourself six hours for the test, from start to completion. Once finished, you may resume your normal activities.
You should not undergo this test if you are pregnant.
For more on this topic, click here: Bone Scan
Why is this test done?
CT stands for computerized tomography. A CT scan is an X-ray procedure enhanced by a computer. The result is a two- or three-dimensional view of a particular body part. The CT view of the spine shows both bone and soft tissue and is useful in identifying fractures and causes of spinal canal compression.
What happens during the procedure?
You will be placed and gently secured on the scan table by the technologist. Next, you will be moved into the scanning chamber and the images will be taken from several different angles. While this occurs, you will likely hear humming noises from the equipment. You must remain as still as possible in order for the image to be clear. Even the slightest movement may result in the need for a repeat scan.
Women who are pregnant should tell their physician.
No special preparation is needed unless directed by your physician.
The scan takes 30 minutes to an hour to complete. You may resume your normal activities as soon as your test is completed.
For more on this topic, click here: Computerized Tomography Scan (CT Scan)
Why is this test done?
Magnetic Resonance Imaging is useful in diagnosing a wide variety of orthopaedic and spinal disorders. This system provides much better images of soft tissues such as ligaments and tendons than traditional X-rays or a CT scan.
What happens during the procedure?
MRI uses large electromagnets that magnetize the body, then record the radio frequencies that are given off as the body returns to normal. The patient lies in a long tunnel for the process, which is harmless and painless, but somewhat noisy.The information generated by the MRI produces multiple cross-section images of the body.
For more on this topic, click here: Magnetic Resonance Imaging
Why is this test done?
Fluoroscopy is a technique that gives physicians a "live" X-ray image. Made while the patient is moving, this can reveal skeletal problems that are not apparent in static X-rays. Fluoroscopy is also used to guide some surgical procedures, such as fracture repair and the placement of metal work during orthopaedic surgery.
What happens during the procedure?
A fluoroscope is essentially an X-ray source and a fluorescent screen, between which the patient is placed.When the fluoroscope is activated, X-rays pass through the patient and are gathered by the fluorescent plate. The image is then intensified and coupled to a television camera. Doctors can watch the moving images on a television monitor. Fluoroscopy results in higher doses of radiation that a standard X-ray, but recent advances have reduced the required dose.
Why is this test done?
An especially important benefit of ultrasound imaging in orthopaedic applications is that the ultrasound image can show motion in real time, giving it the potential to reveal problems that may be less apparent in still X-rays. It is sometimes used when instability of a joint is suspected. The advantage over a fluoroscope is that it doesn't expose the patient to radiation.
What happens during the procedure?
For an ultrasound examination, a lubricating gel is spread on the parts of the body to be read, and a small instrument called a transducer is held against the body and moved across it to generate sound waves.The transducer reads echoes from these sound waves, and feeds them back to a system that produces a visual image on a TV monitor. The procedure is painless and safe even for pregnant women.
Why is this test done?
An arthrogram is an X-ray of a joint into which a contrast medium, or dye, has been injected to provide a more detailed X-ray picture. Arthrograms are made when traditional X-rays of a symptomatic joint do not provide enough information for the physician to believe that he or she can make the best possible diagnosis. An example of its use would be when an injury to soft tissues, such as ligaments or tendons is suspected. These structures do not show up in standard X-rays.
What happens during the procedure?
A local anesthetic is administered to the area of a joint. A needle is then used to inject the contrast material. X-rays may be taken both before and after the contrast is administered. Depending on the type of contrast material used, the dye may be drawn out by a needle once the X-rays are taken, or left to be absorbed by the body. The procedure usually takes between thirty and sixty minutes.
Why is this test done?
This test helps to identify which disc may be responsible for your pain. The information is needed to assist your doctor in determining what type of treatment is appropriate for you.
What happens during the procedure?
Under X-ray guidance, a needle is inserted into the disc, and dye is injected to distend the area and aid in reproducing a pain response. Questions will be asked of you as this occurs. These questions are important in assisting your doctor to determine which area is involved in causing your pain. Knowing which area is responsible for your symptoms is the focus of the test. It is necessary for you experience your usual amount of pain at the time of your appointment, so we ask that you take no pain medications after midnight the night before your test.
You will need someone to drive you home after the discogram; otherwise you may resume your normal activities.
Some patients report additional irritation in the back or leg for a day or two following the procedure. If the pain lasts beyond three days, or if you develop a fever or chills, notify a member of our medical staff immediately.
For more on this topic, click here: Discogram
Why is this test done?
Your doctor has ordered this test to help determine the cause of your muscle atrophy or pain. This test is specifically performed to identify if abnormal nerve function is present.
What happens during the procedure?
The Nerve Conduction Study tests how electric impulses travel along the nerve, helping to isolate the cause of abnormal nerve function. The signals are measured by applying small electric pulses to the nerve at one site, and recording the response at a different place along the nerve. The small electric pulses cause a mild tingling feeling. The nerve response is picked up by a recording instrument and is then measured by your doctor.
During the EMG (electromyography) portion of the test, the physician inserts a small needle into a muscle to record the electrical activity of the muscle. The electrical activity of the muscle is then fed into the recording instrument. The physician analyzes the activity by looking at a signal on a scope and listening to the sounds of the activity through a speaker. This helps the physician determine if there are abnormalities in the muscle or the nerve going to the muscle.
Inform your physician if you:
- are using a transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulator (TENS) unit
- are taking blood thinners
- have hemophilia
- have a cardiac pacemaker
Do not apply lotion to the arms or legs on the day of the test.
For more on this topic, click here: Electromyelography/Nerve Conduction Study
Why is this test done?
A myelogram is an X-ray examination of your spinal cord and spinal nerves enhanced with a dye-like solution injected into the fluid in the spinal column. Myelography can assist in diagnosing such abnormalities as spinal canal narrowing, herniated discs, and other conditions which may cause pressure on the spinal cord or nerves.
What happens during this procedure?
Once the area is cleansed and a local anesthetic is administered, a needle is placed in either your lower back or the side of your upper neck, depending on where your problem is located. Subsequently, a fine needle is placed into the spinal fluid space using X-ray guidance, the contrast dye is administered, and the needle is removed.
X-rays will be taken as the dye outlines the spinal cord and nerves. The myelography table may be tilted in order to move the dye to the area of interest. Once myelography is complete, you will be moved to the CT scanner. You will need to lie as still as possible while these images are being taken. The CT scan provides your doctor with a two or three dimensional view of both bone and soft tissue such as
Some patients report discomfort during the injection of the dye; others do not. The CT scan is not painful. For more on this topic, click here: Myelogram
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