ABSTRACT
Muscle injuries are common and often occur during sport or training. The sonographic
and magnetic resonance (MR) imaging appearance of muscle injures help to categorize
the degree of muscle injury and when the athlete can return to play. The recent advances
in ultrasound technology producing images of exquisite detail allow diagnosis of muscle
injury with similar accuracy as MR imaging. Muscle injury may be divided into acute
and chronic pathology, with muscle strain injury the most common clinical problem
presenting to sports physicians. This article reviews the MR Imaging and ultrasound
appearance of muscle injuries ranging from acute to chronic injuries, as well as the
appearance of normal healing and the complications that can occur from muscle strain
injuries.
KEYWORDS
Muscle - ultrasound - magnetic resonance imaging - injury
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Donna G BlankenbakerM.D.
Department of Radiology, Musculoskeletal Division
University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, E3/311 Clinical Science
Center, 600 Highland Ave., Madison, WI 53792-3252
Email: dblankenbaker@uwhealth.org
