Dear MRI Insider,
Groin injuries are the topic of our Insider Exclusive, and reading up on the subject was a cringe-inducing, leg-crossing experience for me. Four years ago, during a lack of mindfulness in yoga class, I sustained a groin injury. For days afterward, I limped around, feeling as if my left groin was on fire. It took one year for me to recover and even now, the mildest twinge convinces me that I'm saddled with chronic groin pain.
Groin ailments are a source of unending discomfort and pain for many athletes, particularly if they are involved in a sport that requires quick turns, twists, and kicks. Making the differential diagnosis in chronic groin pain is important, as is deciding if treatment should be conservative or surgical. Two recent studies looked at the role of MRI in assessing groin injuries. Click here to learn more about their results (and to see a picture of the pose that bested me!).
In other news, read about an experimental molecule that can carry gadolinium into atherosclerotic plaques for better MRI visualization. Speaking of gadolinium, Swiss imaging experts used a parallel acquisition technique to reduce the amount of contrast required for intra-arterial MRI.
Last but not least, check out what the folks at MRI-Planning (also known as Junk Architects) have to say about MR suite level designations and MR jargon. The latter is an open letter to vendors urging them to adopt more user-friendly terminology when describing their MR equipment.
