Hip-Spine vs Spine-Hip vs Both – 3 Case Examples Lessons Learned

Hand is on red painful buttock

An 80-year-young woman visited her primary care physician with “pain going down my leg”. She had difficulty grocery shopping, picking up her small dog. X-rays showed osteoarthritis in her lumbar spine, and she was diagnosed with “sciatica.” The doctor referred her to a spine surgeon, who ordered an MRI and gave her an x-ray-guided spinal…

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Diagnostic imaging pros & cons – be careful what you ask for

There are many reasons to request a diagnostic image such as a radiograph (X-ray), MRI, sonogram (ultrasound), and CT scan. They are to diagnosis a pathology/trauma; determine treatment options; screen for contraindications; biomechanical analysis; provide reassurance; medical legal reasons; and financial gain for the healthcare provider. Requests for diagnostic imaging must come from a licensed…

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