Imaging sports injuries of the foot and ankle

The complexity of foot and ankle anatomy and function is unique in the musculoskeletal system. Understanding the complex anatomy alone is a daunting task, not to mention transferring that understanding to the two-dimensional planes encountered on imaging studies. When evaluating sports injuries in the foot and ankle, the interpreting radiologist must take into account the type of activity, vector of stress, and inherent characteristics of the involved structures. A strong working relationship with the health care providers managing patient care, ideally orthopedists, is essential. But in this age of decreasing specialization and increasing availability of imaging resources, the interpreting radiologist must use all available tools for clinical investigation. When interpreting an ankle or foot MR imaging, one finding should trigger a search for the next finding along a logical pathway of injury evolution. Bone marrow edema patterns are guides to tendon and ligament failure. And a clinical syndrome without correlative imaging diagnosis should call attention to potential alternative diagnoses. As the number of MR imaging studies performed continues to increase and MR technology continues to improve, we expect further advancements in MR evaluation of foot and ankle injury. We hope to continue to work closely with our referring orthopedists in this arena to improve our diagnostic skills and our understanding of foot and ankle injury.