Huffington Post—May 23, 2009
by Helene Pavlov, MD, FACR
Radiologist-in-Chief
Hospital for Special Surgery
The symptoms of "tennis leg" most commonly result from an acute rupture of the Achilles tendon and, less frequently, by a tear in one of the calf muscles, the gastrocnemius muscle, or the plantaris tendon. Distinguishing between these injuries and potentially life threatening conditions can be difficult by physical exam. Douglas Mintz, MD, musculoskeletal radiologist at Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) in New York comments that "MRI, because of its ability to accurately image soft tissue damage, is the most common method for evaluating the affected area. At HSS, we can also perform diagnostic ultrasound, a method of diagnosis that is much less commonly used in this country." Musculoskeletal ultrasound, in trained and experienced hands, can be used to both diagnose and follow musculoskeletal injures during the rehabilitation period.
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