MRI sport-specific pulley imaging

Abstract

Objective: We aim to create a novel MRI methodology that employs sport-specific stress views for imaging finger pulley injuries in the evaluation of post-operative healing effectiveness. The goal is to measure the bone to tendon distance (BTD), which is the current standard for determining pulley injuries.

Materials and methods: The athlete was imaged in a crimp-grip stressed position to emulate sport-specific biomechanics. A Gradient Echo technique was modified to maximize the signal to noise ratio and minimize distortion near the bone and tendon, simplifying the determination of the BTD.

Results: A stress-crimped hand position is imaged in less than one half-minute to enable diagnostic visualization of a normal proximal phalanx' bone and tendon via measurement of their BTD.

Conclusion: This novel stress methodology allows for sport-specific imaging, which is ideal for determining functional compromise of the hand's pulley mechanism. Surgical outcomes may be more sensitively compared when using stress views, and these comparisons may then direct optimal repair technique. Future studies will utilize this technique to attempt early-stage detection of pulley injuries prior to complete rupture.

Keywords: A2 pulley; Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI); Rock climber; Sport-specific; Stress-crimped.