In this video, we're going to talk about getting an MRI done of the knee. MRI is probably the most informative examination you can get done, because it shows you all of the soft tissues individually, it really gives you a good picture of what's going on inside of your knee. Now, if you're thinking great, why don't I just get an MRI done, and that's it. It has some disadvantages as well. It's an extremely expensive test. And it's not always readily available.
Depending on where you live and what kind of facilities that you go to. There might be very long wait times to get their MRI done. And so you might want to get something done beforehand. To get an idea of what type of injury you're dealing with. An X ray is a good first choice, for example, or even an ultrasound. Another thing is to get an MRI done or to have a good reason to get an MRI done is usually if you're debating what type of treatment that you're going to use afterwards.
If you're debating Do I need surgery or not? Is my ACL fully torn or partially torn, then an MRI is a very important test, because it will give you more information that will help you decide what treatment options to go to. However, if you're not a candidate for surgery, if you're not considering that as an option, and if you're just going to go with physical therapy as the main type of treatment, it's a little bit excessive to go get that exam done, because the outcome won't really have an effect on what type of treatment you choose afterwards. An advantage of MRI is that it doesn't have radiation, it's done with magnets Instead, it is a test that takes a little bit of time and as we mentioned, the disadvantages it does have a lot of wait time. So as you're discussing with your doctor, make sure that you that you debate with him and discuss if it's the right exam for you.
A lot of patients come in and demand to get an MRI done, but it's not right for every patient. Because only if it if it changes the outcome or if it changes what type of treatment that you're getting. Seek afterwards, should you get an MRI done. Alright, that's it for the imaging part. Again, if you have any questions about images, make sure you write them on the board, and we'll do our best to answer them as soon as possible.