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Kid was diagnosed with tendenitus a few months ago, Doc said, based on his exam an MRI was premature. Kid has been doing therapy since, has thrown a little recently. still feels discomfort in the elbow but no pain. There is a little pain when he makes certain movements. Has not tried to throw 100% yet.
We know a kid that had tendenitus last year, took 5-6 months of no throwing to get healthy again.
I hope thats all it is...but I think it is time to be sure.
Like infielddad says the ortho won't do the MRI, he'll simply prescribe it and it will be done at an independent MRI lab or at the hospital's MRI lab.

We couldn't get our ortho to prescribe an MRI for my son so we paid for it ourselves. The radiologist's report from the MRI lab came back saying that he had a partially torn brachialis tendon at the insertion.

That scared us more than a little bit so we took the MRI to Kerlan-Jobe, (Jobe being the doc who did the first TJ surgery) where we saw one of their top doctors. He looked at the MRI and said there was no tendon tear, although there was a muscle strain. He sent the MRI to their radiologist who he described as one of the top 3 in the world and the Kerlan-Jobe radiologist agreed with his diagnosis.

The doctor was also able to ascertain the real source of my son's elbow pain and set up an appropriate course of conservative treatment and rehab.

My recommendation for something as serious as a potential TJ problem is to only go to the best as diagnosing a partial UCL tear from an MRI is not always a cut and dried thing.

If there is a TJ issue then there are clinical tests that will usually cause pain, although other conditions can mimic the symptoms.
Last edited by CADad
MRI is used for diagnostic purposes, and so that you and your son will know what is causing the discomfort and how to proceed. You can't compare your son's situation to another players.

If the doctor advises and willing to prescribe, do it. The more important factor is the doctor and the confidance you have in his course of treatment. After teh MRI, seek a specialist who has performed the surgery for his opinion.

Am under the impression that contrast MRI is the way to go?
Last edited by TPM
quote:
Originally posted by TRhit:
This is not a medical forum-- Contrats MRI's are the next step after a normal MRI---not necessarily the "way to go"


Been there done that too many times


I put a question mark next to my sentence.

And I also have been there done that, contrast MRI's have come first. Sometimes it depends on the protacol for your insurance company. If a doctor gives reasons WHY the contrast is needed first, it might be approved.
Sounds like your doctor has given you good advice. My son had the same scenario...his ortho gave him a rest and rehab program. Only after that didn't resolve the issue did he suggest an MRI (as well as x-ray). The MRI showed no tears, but a bone spur and some instability. Again, he prescribed conservative rehab approach. Finally, when this didn't resolve it, he decided TJ was the best option (he has done hundreds for many athletes (amateur and professional) and consulted with major league teams). He suggested TJ not so much for the instability, but stating that (1) bone spurs, once removed, often lead to further instability and eventually, TJ surgery, and (2) the bone spurs are evidence of instability.

When he went into my son's elbow, he found the bone spurs not to be as bad as he thought and that the ligament had 3 tears that had probably been there for a few years.

My son is now 8 months post-surgery (throwing off the mound at about 75% and pain-free for the first time in years). Obviously, if he had the MRI and surgery earlier, he would be ready to go now. However, I appreciate our ortho's (and it sounds like your ortho's process) non-invasive approach first.

Good luck to your son. He needs to be patient and take each step as they come (my that sounds trite, but it's true).
TripleDad


quote:
When getting a MRI for ths elbow,Should a baseball specialist(TJ) do it.



My advice is to get a elbow specialist that deals with baseball players. My son hurt his elbow in a game last April. First went to ortho specialist who didn't even think my son needed a MRI. After a little complaining he agreed to test. Results showed very mild strain. Doctor told us because he didn't specialize in elbows he wasn't comfortable treating my son. We went to a ortho specialist who dealt with sports injuries next. He told my son there was no tear and to rest it for a few weeks before he started to throw again. After alot of rest he started to throw but still experienced some discomfort. When we went back the doctor actually got upset that we questioned his diagnosis. We finally ended up going to the Baltimore Orioles team doctor who specializes in baseball injuries. He did some test on my son that nobody else had down. Andrew (my son) had a torn UCL and had T.J surgery on Augest 3. He will start his throwing program on Jan. 2. A torn UCL can be very hard to diagnose even with imaging. I would feel alot more comfortable knowing that the doctor treating my son specializes in baseball injuries. By the way,is your son a pitcher?


Banditsbb
Son is a catcher, I have always protected his arm through the years. In Sep. he was at a local showcase and was hitting pops were well under 2.00 for the first time. I think he did it there, It was his 1st showcase and he may have pushed too hard. The next week we were at Louisville playing in front of their coaches and he was in serious pain, lasted for several days.

After reading this thread and getting some PM's, I think we will start with the evaluation from the local Doc. and then get a 2nd opinion from someone that has looked at a lot of baseball arms. Any suggestions in the midwest? I believe there is a Doc in cincinnati that has worked with quite a few arms.

Thanks everyone for your input, I really appreciate it!
TripleDad,
I am very sorry to hear about your son.
If there is any way, I would recommend getting to Dr Andrews in Birmingham. On one of our son's visits there, he sat and chatted with major leaguers who were there for evaluation and final opinions on diagnosis/treatment.
Getting a proper evaluation and program of treatment is critical to the recovery and hoped for resumption of baseball. Go to the best, if you can and do it on the front end, not later.
Did the ortho do a valgus stress test or one of the other clinical tests for UCL issues? Did he do the tests for medial epicondylitis?

I'd say if you're in the midwest Kremchek would be the way to go. You can also go to the ASMI website and go to their forum and Glenn Fleisig will recommend a specialist in your area or as close to it as possible.

BTW, my son had all the symptoms of a UCL injury and tested positive on the clinical tests. The MRI showed that it was something completely different and nowhere as big a deal. Going and getting an MRI can be very useful and doesn't mean you are going to find a serious problem.

Wherever you go here's hoping all goes well for your son.
Last edited by CADad

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