For three years after her car accident, a 34-year-old woman endured debilitating foot pain. But, despite many physical and radiological examinations -- including magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) -- no one could find a reason for the pain.

Finally, with the arrival of the short-bore (hybrid open) 1.5 Tesla MRI, she learned she had sustained an exceedingly small, subtle fracture of her toe during the accident -- a break so tiny that it had previously escaped detection. Relieved that her pain had not been a figment of her imagination, she had appropriate treatment tailored to her injury and has since recovered.

Super-Hero MRI

Winthrop recently acquired and installed this state-of-the-art MRI, which generatesMRI, which generatess and installed this state-of-the-ar exceptionally high-quality images that reveal the anatomy in great detail, but without the need to enclose the patient's head when the lower extremities are being examined. "Not all MRIs are equal," said Jonathan S. Luchs, MD, Director of Musculoskeletal Imaging at the Hospital's Department of Radiology. "Our new, high-resolution, hybrid open MRI gives orthopaedic surgeons the most in-depth look at bones, as well as cartilage, ligaments, tendons and muscles.

"There's no guesswork. This technology is especially valuable for diagnosing musculoskeletal disorders and injuries. We can now visualize situations as completely and meticulously as surgeons can when they use arthroscopy."

Dr. Luchs, one of only a handful of Long Island radiologists with advanced fellowship training in musculoskeletal imaging, is responsible for guaranteeing that Winthrop's new MRI achieves its full potential with every patient.

In his unique position at Winthrop, Dr. Luchs not only overseesesseesnot only oversees quality control of the equipment, but also writes the plan for -- and supervises the implementation of -- all complex MRI imaging studies, making certain they are tailored to each patient's condition and specific needs. Additionally, he is responsible for interpreting the images and ensuring the quality of both the images and interpretations.

The new MRI technology generates clear and supremely detailed images of the anatomy on many different planes and from scores of angles. As it examines the body's joints, spine and extremities, the equipment pinpoints and identifies the cause of pain, including infinitesimal and previously undetectable tears, injuries to tendons, ligaments, cartilage and muscles, as well as swelling or bleeding in the soft tissue in and around the joints and bones. These extraordinary visualizations can aid in providing quick and accurate diagnoses, sometimes reducing the need for exploratory surgery or other invasive procedures.

Using this very powerful MRII, Winthrop's musculoskeletal imagers work closely with the Hospital's orthopaedists to detect and evaluate reasons for protracted, unexplained joint pain; knee and shoulder injuries; spine conditions, such as disc disease; musculoskeletal disorders, such as arthritis; traumatic injuries; sports injuries; and tumors.

"With the acquisition of state-of-art technology and, more importantly, the recruitment of Dr. Luchs, who was formally trained in musculoskeletal radiology at the Hospital for Special Surgery, we now have the radiological component of subspecialty orthopaedic care," said Frank DiMaio, MD, Winthrop's Chairman of the Department of Orthopaedics. "This enables us to diagnose and treat both unusual and subtle conditions, which can be commonly overlooked."

For more information about the latest musculoskeletal imaging technology and techniques at Winthrop, call 1-866-WINTHROP.