Sports Injuries

“No pain, no gain” usually has a downside. Ranging from the “weekend warrior” to the high-performance professional athlete, prompt recognition and treatment of sports-related injuries is imperative to maintain normal function. With the advent of more sophisticated imaging techniques, radiologists are increasingly relied upon to establish accurate diagnoses to direct appropriate management. This issue is presented as a multidisciplinary approach to the diagnosis of sports-related injuries encountered in the athlete. In several cases, we have combined authorship with orthopedic surgeons, who are nationally renowned in the field of sports medicine, with musculoskeletal radiologists, who have expertise in specific joint-related pathology.

Due to its superior soft-tissue contrast and direct multiplanar acquisition, magnetic resonance imaging is stressed in its ability to diagnose soft-tissue lesions in athletes; however, attention is also directed to a special section on ultrasound in sports medicine, which is increasingly accepted in the orthopedic community.

Over the past 20 years, sports medicine has developed as a unique multidiscipline of expertise involving orthopedic surgeons, physiatrists, physical therapists, physiologists, and radiologists. Prompt recognition of the nature and extent of injury is essential to limit “down time” and return the athlete to activity. Attempts have been made in this issue to critically review important soft-tissue and osseous pathology encountered in the more commonly injured joints, with an emphasis on initial review of basic anatomy. Comprehensive management of either the recreational or elite athlete is best made by a multidisciplinary approach, combining a comprehensive physical examination and appropriate history with the use of carefully selected standard and more advanced diagnostic imaging techniques, to provide the most accurate diagnosis, institute appropriate management, and minimize disability.

I extended my sincere thanks to all of the contributing authors, both radiologists and orthopedic surgeons, who participated in producing a truly collaborative discussion of sports-related musculoskeletal injuries. I would also like to thank the Editors in Chief, Drs. Karasick and Schweitzer, for inviting me to act as Guest Editor in this issue.