[Closed] MRI results?

1) a radiographer/specialist will have looked at the scan

2) Dr will recommend treatment

3) in my case I was referred back for more physio as 'there's nothing organically wrong with your knee' and then have a follow up appointment in a few months.

I guess you need to discuss outcome if there's nothing obvious on the scan but I, personally, would be reluctant to undergo exporative surgery on an area that was already playing up unless I really felt there was no alternative.

If you don;t trust the Dr then will you do what they suggest anyway?

what are you scanning? - just out of interest...

I wouldn't like them digging around unless there was something to dig around for. So would avoid exploratory if I can help it.

I think I was more concerned about him interpreting the results. If I don't like what the doctor recommends I can easily get a second opinion based on the specialist's findings.

tracknicko I am trying to avoid this. Problems with peroneal tendons for last 18 months after some nasty sprains.

[img] [/img]

im going to pm/email you privately mate. cheers.

What happens if nothing is found but there is obviously something wrong that physio, rest, etc etc has failed to fix

Ask for a referral to an ortho knee specialist. GP will pull their face at it, but if the MR is abnormal and the treatment they've been able to suggest/provide (physio/rest etc) hasn't been effective then ask them to let you move onto specialist service.

<pulls up a chair>

I had an MRI* scan on my ankle, on Friday

3 months, 3 x-rays, 2 A&E doctors and 2 soft tissue consultants later and they're still not sure what is wrong with it other than "it still doesn't look right". Still swollen (although much better) and still painful, especially when I've been on my feet a bit. Eventual diagnosis was a Grade 2 to 3 sprain. [url= http://www.singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/advice-required-ankle-injury-warning-ugly-feet-content ](Original ugly feet thread here)[/url]

*and just how bloody noisy are they?!?!

cheers Freddyg most re-assuring.

18 months 4 physios (Two went to the last Olympics with the GB teams, now realise this is not a recommendation or a statement of quality) 1 sports injury guy who did joint manipulation. 3 doctors, and an MRI. Hoping tomorrow will shed the final light that is needed.

Swelling happens below the ankle bone on outside of foot and along the tendons down side of foot. Any prolonged pressure or use such as running or even walking aggravates it.

Drops and jumps on the bike also aggravates it as the tendons are being used in shock absorbtion and stabilisation on the pedals (or so I can figure?) Stopped running before Christmas (apart from two adventure races) and no better, in fact maybe even worse?

yep they are noisy! Different than I imagined though? More like a cheap space invaders game as opposed to some clapped out kit. Wasn't too bad though as I only had a foot in there.

Scan will be interpreted by a radiologist. The reportr is then available to the referring dr. If this dr is a gp, then (s)he's a GENERAL practitioner and as such not the person you want to see. You wan them to refer you to a specialist. If the freferring dr is a specialist and you're not happy, you are entitled to a second opinion or to see another specialist, but the system (ie consultants) don't like this as they will tend to stick together.
Where are you?

Well I went and got my results and been refered to the orthapedic specialist to decide on the next course of action, however I feel the scalpel being sharpened 🙁

Got the print out of the report however I have no idea quite what some of it means. Hoping it sounds worse than it is.

My worries of the doctor rang true as he also had little idea what the report meant but he did give me a copy. As bigbutslim said he is a generalist therefore no surprise really. I got want I want from it which is being referred onwards.

@bigbutslim I am Leeds based. I kind of understand the whole general practitioner thing and just see them in this case as a gatekeeper to the specialists. I also understand often the NHS priorities conflict with my own.

ah, wish I could help - have access to radiology reports and to local ortho specialists, but only in Scotland.

[quoteBigButSlimmerBloke - Member
ah, wish I could help - have access to radiology reports and to local ortho specialists, but only in Scotland.

Cheers but reckon I will just have to wait. In the meantime I will try to decipher this report as the doctor had troubles knowing what it meant.

Ajf - Did you get a CD with all of the images on it? This is very useful for second consultant opinions and its best if you keep a copy of all of the records/correspondence, for any future appointments etc.
Good luck.

Just an idea, especially if your leeds based, if you can afford about £100 ring the spire hospital at roundhay, ask for an appointment with their specialist (you dont need to have medical insurance, just a valid credit crad) , they will ask for a GP referral, tell your GP you want to go private (he will try to talk you out of it!!) but whn he's stopped moaning he can fax the hospital, and you'll get seen probably in the next few days. A least then you know youve had the best possible diagnosis going (as you already have had the MRI) and you havnt p***ed about for weeks waiting...........you may not agree with the theory of private medicine, but it works, very well!!!!!

but the system (ie consultants) don't like this as they will tend to stick together.

Urban myth IMHO. You may get a similar opinion from different consultants because it's broadly the right thing to do. I never have an issue with patients seeking a second opinion and will myself ask one of my colleagues for a second opinion if I feel that I may be missing something. If that gets the patient sorted out then great.

If you do find one consultant who gives a very different opinion to their colleagues then you have to ask why. Could be that he or she has a special interest or expertise in your problem and is exactly what you have been looking for, or it could be that the other consultants had a good reason for not agreeing.

and just how bloody noisy are they?!?!

Cold as well! AIrcon to cool the magnets apparently!! Had several MR scans last summer in the 2 weeks of Hune that we called summer, had a repeat in december when snow ws on the ground. In summer shorts & T-shirt, perfect, december, made to wear an embarrassment gown and froze to death during a 45 minute scan.

Just an idea, especially if your leeds based, if you can afford about £100 ring the spire hospital at roundhay, ask for an appointment with their specialist (you dont need to have medical insurance, just a valid credit crad) , they will ask for a GP referral, tell your GP you want to go private (he will try to talk you out of it!!) but whn he's stopped moaning he can fax the hospital, and you'll get seen probably in the next few days. A least then you know youve had the best possible diagnosis going (as you already have had the MRI) and you havnt p***ed about for weeks waiting...........you may not agree with the theory of private medicine, but it works, very well!!!!!

So working with this idea. I go private they say, oh that's knackered you need surgery then what? Do I go back to the doctors who says okay and refers me on. Can afford the £100 diagnosis but wouldn't be able to afford a private op

Will he not just refer me to the same person i.e the orthopaedic specialist?

I have the MRI report beside me now, so this I am guessing is the diagnosis, it just needs someone to say how to treat it.

*and just how bloody noisy are they?!?!

Last one i had done a couple of months ago was a lot quieter than the previous 3. This one wasn't a cylindrical scanner, you lay under a big flat shelf. Still had to wear earplugs but didn't feel like i was in the middle of a rave.

Well worth getting hold of the images.
Here's prrof i have a brain, unless they photoshopped it!
[img] [/img]

Great to watch the animation of the slices.

AIrcon to cool the magnets apparently!!

The blindingly obvious is that GPs like to get you out the door and back to work and normality - your normality may well be different from theirs. Surgeons have a tendency to want to operate, physios like to physio. You're the guy in the middle and to some extent need to take charge (sounds like you are).

With a lot of hindsight I regret the knee surgery I had years ago and could have achieved the same with more dedication to the physio. The cutting itself took a while to recover from and I underestimated this. As an aside I had way less trouble with my knees after switching to offroad running - but you've already done that anyway haven't you? Good luck...

@ stever, never was one for road running. Unfortunately the fells are now put on hold for the foreseeable future. I do find barefoot and mid foot running is less painful and more manageable however.

Gone down the physio route and they were the ones who said go for the MRI as not much else they could do.

[url= http://middlepack.co.uk/2010/05/sharpen-the-knives/ ]here are my results if anyone interested or can interpret?[/url]

I'm a vet not a doctor, but here goes. You have inflamed tendon sheaths with changes to the tendons which make them appear non-normal. You have new bone growth (spurring, oestoephytes) to several bones in the ankle area. You have degenerative changes to several of the joints in the area - ie wear and tear. There is nothing in this report to indicate cause and effect other than degenerative change of time/overuse. I haven't seen the xrays/scans, I'm not an orthopaedic surgeon but I would have thought surgery would be minimally helpful or only helpful in the short term. If you were a horse, I'd be recommending box rest for 6 months. As for medication, it would be glucosamine/chondrotin with either NSAIDs or cartliage modifiers depending on whether the inflammed tendons or the worn joints were considered to be the more troublesome.
Give them a rest for a few months, at least.

Colin

If you were a horse, I'd be recommending box rest for 6 months

Well its better than the glue factory I suppose 🙂

Cheers for that.

Liquid nitrogen, keeping the magnets at around -283C iirc