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Infographic. When is abnormal normal? Reframing MRI abnormalities as a normal part of ageing
  1. Adam G Culvenor,
  2. Marcella Ferraz Pazzinatto,
  3. Joshua J Heerey
  1. La Trobe Sport and Exercise Medicine Research Centre, School of Allied Health, Human Services and Sport, La Trobe University, Bundoora, Victoria, Australia
  1. Correspondence to Dr Adam G Culvenor, La Trobe Sport and Exercise Medicine Research Centre, School of Allied Health, Human Services and Sport, La Trobe University College of Science Health and Engineering, Bundoora, VIC 3086, Australia; a.culvenor{at}latrobe.edu.au

https://doi.org/10.1136/bjsports-2020-103563

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    Sports and exercise medicine clinicians often refer for diagnostic imaging to help direct clinical management. The use of musculoskeletal MRI has risen rapidly in recent decades, yet the clinical benefit of MRI is uncertain.1 Imaging is useful for the differential diagnosis of many health conditions, including possible red flags, however, there are growing concerns of potential harm from MRIs caused by clinicians misinterpreting results triggering unnecessary interventions escalating patient fear/distress.2 Evidence-based reporting and clinically relevant interpretation of MRIs is critical.

    Recognising the clinical significance of MRI findings is often a challenge given the substantial …

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    Footnotes

    • Twitter @agculvenor, @JHeerey

    • Contributors AGC and JJH conceived the idea and wrote the initial draft. MFP led the development of the infographic. All authors contributed and approved the final infographic and accompanying text.

    • Funding AGC is a recipient of a National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) of Australia Early Career Fellowship (Neil Hamilton Fairley Clinical Fellowship, APP1121173).

    • Competing interests None declared.

    • Provenance and peer review Not commissioned; externally peer reviewed.