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Carolyn M. Sofka, MD, FACR

Radiology
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About

Director of Education

Dr. Carolyn M. Sofka is the Education Director for the Department of Radiology and Imaging and a board certified radiologist specializing in musculoskeletal radiology since 1999. She is published in numerous peer reviewed radiology and orthopaedic subspecialty journals, has co-authored books and book chapters, and is a frequently invited guest speaker at national and international imaging and orthopaedic conferences.

Departments

Specialized Centers

Total Ankle Replacement Center

Special Expertise

Foot and Ankle Imaging
Sports Medicine
Arthritis
Certified in Clinical Densitometrist (CCD)

Patient Stories

Insurance

If your insurance is not listed, please call our office if you have questions regarding your insurance coverage. If you have out-of-network benefits, then your insurance may reimburse you for a portion of your office visit. We will work with you and your insurance to minimize your out-of-pocket costs. Financial assistance may be available for patients in need.

Credentials

Appointments

Attending Radiologist, Hospital for Special Surgery
Director of Education, Department of Radiology and Imaging, Hospital for Special Surgery
Professor of Radiology, Weill Cornell Medical College
 

Affiliations

American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (Associate Member Allied Specialty)
American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society (MD Affiliate Member)
International Weight Bearing CT Society (Academic Affiliate)
American College of Radiology (Fellow)
New York Roentgen Society (President 2018-2019)
American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine (Senior member)
Society of Radiologists in Ultrasound (Fellow)
American Roentgen Ray Society
Radiological Society of North America
International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine
Society of Skeletal Radiology
New York State Radiological Society
International Skeletal Society

Certification

USMLE, 1996
American Board of Radiology, 1999
Certified Clinical Densitometry (CCD), 2008

Awards

Department of Radiology and Imaging Fellow Award for Mentor of the Year 2016
Profiled in Horizon magazine (Hospital for Special Surgery) 2005
Consumer Research Council of America: Guide to America's Top Physicians 2005
Consumer Research Council of America: Guide to America's Top Radiologists 2002-2003, 2006

Education

MD, University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, New Brunswick, NJ, 1995
Residency: Diagnostic Radiology Resident, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, 1999
Fellowship: Orthopaedic Radiology, New York-Presbyterian Hospital and Weill Cornell Medical College, 2000
Musculoskeletal Radiology, Hospital for Special Surgery, New York, NY,2000

State Licensure

Languages

English

Publications by

Selected Journal Articles

Editorial Appointments

Editorial Board, Ultrasound Quarterly
Editorial Board, Journal of Hospital for Special Surgery

  • Deputy Editor, Musculoskeletal Imaging
  • HSS Journal Advisory Board
  • Manuscript reviewer

Reviewer for American Journal of Roentgenology
Reviewer for Clinical Orthopaedics and Related Research
Reviewer for Foot and Ankle International 
Reviewer for Journal of Clinical Ultrasound 
Reviewer for Skeletal Radiology
Reviewer for Journal of Ultrasound in Medicine
Reviewer for European Radiology
Reviewer for Sports Health 
Reviewer for Ultrasound Quarterly 
Reviewer for Clinical Imaging

Selected Books/Chapters

Miller TT, Sofka CM Zhang P, Khurana JS.  Systematic approach to tumors and tumor-like conditions of soft tissue, in Diagnostic Imaging of Musculoskeletal Diseases, Bonakdarpour A, Reinus WR, Khurana JS, eds. Humana Press, Springer New York. 2009 pp.313-350

Sofka CM. Magnetic resonance imaging of myopathies and myositis, in The inflammatory myopathies, L. Kagen, ed., Humana Press New York 2009, pp.127-146

Sofka CM, Pavlov H. The History of Clinical Musculoskeletal Radiology. Radiol Clin North Am 2009; 47(3):349-356

Nazarian LN., Nohm-Velez M., Kan J., Sofka C., et al. AIUM practice guidelines for the performance of a musculoskeletal ultrasound examination. J Ultrasound Med. 2012 Sep; 31(9):1473-88

Pavlov H, Sofka CM, Saboeiro G, Mintz DN. Imaging of foot and ankle athletic injuries, in Foot and Ankle Sports Medicine, DW Altchek, CW DiGiovanni, JS Dines, RG Positano eds.,Wolters Kluwer Health/Lippincott Williams and Wilkins New York 2013, pp 51-66

Sofka CM.  Tracking rheumatic disease through imaging. Rheum Dis Clin North Am: The Use of Imaging in Inflammatory Joint and Vascular Disorders 2013; 39(3): 633-644

Sofka CM. Post operative magnetic resonance imaging of the foot and ankle. J Magn Reson Imaging 2013; 37(3): 556-65

Sofka C. Developments and innovations in resident and fellowship education: HSS J. 2014 Oct: 10 (3): 225-9

Pavlov H, Sofka C, Rekhi S, Spivey JR. Radiology and Imaging of systemic disease manifestations in the lower extremity, in The Lower Extremity and its Relationship to Systemic Disease. Borer JS, Positano RG, DiGiovanni CW, Trepal MJ, eds, in press.

Sofka CM. Technical considerations: best practices for MR imaging of the foot and ankle. MRI Clinics of North America, Magnetic Resonance Imaging Clinics of North America 25 (2017) pp. 1-10 

Selected Presentations

De Cesar Netto C, Saito G, Roney A, Roberts L, Fansa A, Greditzer H, Sofka CM, Deland JT, Ellis S. Weightbearing CT and MRI findings of Stage II flatfoot deformity: can we predict patients at high risk of collapse? American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society Meeting. Chicago, IL. September 2019.

Deland JT, Kennedy J, Sofka CM, Cabe T, Drakos M. Treatment of large osteochondral lesions with adjuvant micronized allogenic cartilage extracellular matrix and bone marrow aspirate concentrate reduces rate of post-operative adjacent cysts. American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society Meeting. Chicago, IL. September 2019.

Ellis S, Deland JT, Hummel, A, Sofka CM, Demetracopoulos C, Harnroongroj T. The “joint line height ratio” – assessing the ankle joint line level before and after total ankle replacement. American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society Meeting. Chicago, IL. September 2019.

Ellis S, Deland JT, Volpert L, Sofka CM, Demetracopoulos C, Harnroongroj T, Sturnick D. Comparison of tibial and talar bone density as a function of resection level in patients undergoing primary total ankle replacement versus demographic-matched controls. American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society Meeting, Chicago IL, September 2019.

Ellis S, Deland JT, Cody E, Sofka CM, Demetracopoulos C, O’Malley M, Gurbani A. Correlation of single photon emission computed tomography results with clinical and intraoperative findings in the painful total ankle replacement. American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society Meeting. Chicago, IL. September 2019.

Ellis S, Deland JT, Garfinkel J, de Cesar Netto C, Sofka CM, Greditzer H, Roney A. Intermediate to long-term clinical and radiographic results of deltoid ligament reconstruction with tendon graft. American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society Meeting. Chicago, IL. September 2019.

De Cesar Netto C, Godoy dos Santos A, Saito G, Roberts L, Lintz F, Siegler S, Greditzer H, Sofka CM, O’Malley M, Deland JT, Ellis S. Middle subtalar joint facet subluxation as a marker of collapsing flatfoot deformity: a case-control study. American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society Meeting. Chicago, IL, September 2019.

Deland JT, Sofka CM, Cabe T, Drakos M, Fabricant P. Comparison of radiographic and clinical outcomes following treatment of talar osteochondral lesions with micronized cartilage extracellular matrix mixed with bone marrow aspirate concentrate versus microfracture. American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society Meeting. Chicago, IL. September 2019.

Sofka CM, Greditzer H, Cabe T, Drakos M, Karnovsky S, Ang B. Can the MOCART scoring system correlate with patient reported foot and ankle outcomes scores after ankle cartilage repair procedures? American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society Meeting. Chicago, IL. September 2019.

Ellis S, Garfinkel J, Volpert L, Sofka CM, Demetracopoulos C, Sanders A, Dyke J, Newcomer M. Imaging of Bone Perfusion and Metabolism in Subjects Undergoing Total Ankle Arthroplasty Using 18F-Positron Emission Tomography. American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society Meeting. Chicago, IL. September 2019.

  • Roger A. Mann Award Winner

Invited Presentations

Radiographic evaluation of the pediatric foot, New York Roentgen Society, 2020.

Plantar plate and forefoot injuries. International Skeletal Society Annual Meeting, 2020.

Magnetic resonance imaging of the foot and ankle, in Foot and Ankle Imaging – Special Breakout Symposium, American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society Annual Meeting, 2020.

Moderator, Foot and Ankle Imaging – Special Breakout Symposium, American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society Annual Meeting, 2020.

Midfoot sprains: more than just the Lisfranc ligament. International Skeletal Society Annual Meeting, 2018.

Cavovarus foot: Case and Characterization, International Skeletal Society Annual Meeting, 2017.

Imaging of ankle cartilage: from injury to repair, International Congress on Cartilage Repair of the Ankle, International Cartilage Repair Society Meeting, 2016.

Imaging of adult acquired flat foot deformity, New York Podiatric Clinical Conference, 2017.

Foot and Ankle Trauma - What We Miss (Case Based Session), International Skeletal Society Annual Meeting. 2016.

Session Moderator, New York Roentgen Society Annual Meeting, Musculoskeletal Imaging Section, Leading Edge Musculoskeletal Imaging: Innovative Techniques and Applications, 2015

Research

Research Interests

Research focus involves the investigation, imaging and treatment of foot and ankle disorders. Recent work has concentrated on the outcomes of surgically treated adult foot deformities, including the efficacy of weight bearing CT examinations, the imaging appearance and complications of total ankle arthroplasty and the MRI appearance of treated osteochondral lesions (OCL) of the talus. As a member of the International Consensus Group on Cartilage Repair of the Ankle, Dr. Sofka has contributed to its publications and presentations regarding current guidelines on surgical treatment of OCL’s of the talus and appropriate imaging follow up.

Industry Relationships

Industry Relationships

HSS has a long history of supporting appropriate relationships with industry because they advance HSS's mission to provide the highest quality patient care, improve patient mobility, and enhance the quality of life for all, and to advance the science of orthopedic surgery, rheumatology, and their related disciplines through research and education.

Below are the healthcare industry relationships reported by Dr. Sofka as of June 14, 2023.

  • Lippincott Williams & Wilkins - Author

 

HSS and its physicians make this information available to patients and the public, thus creating a transparent environment for those who are interested in this information. Further, the HSS Conflicts of Interest and Commitment Policy prohibits physicians from collecting royalties on products they develop that are used on patients at HSS.

Patients should feel free to ask their HSS physicians questions about these relationships.