Inspira Health Network

Inspira Medical Centers 333 Irving Ave. Bridgeton, NJ 08302 "Like" us on Facebook Family & Friends + You is published by Inspira Health Network. The material in this publication in no way seeks to diagnose or treat illness or to serve as a substitute for professional medical care. Please speak with your health care provider if you have a health concern or if you are considering adopting any exercise program or dietary guidelines. For permission to reprint any portion of this publication; to notify us that you have received more than one copy; or to be removed from the mailing list, please contact us at (856) 575-4541. If your child is hurt, you and your physician need to determine the best treatment right away — yet accurately diagnosing a child's injury can be challenging. Some of the most common sports-related injuries are bone fractures and ligament tears. To accurately diagnose these and other injuries, doctors like Nitesh Bhagat, M.D., a radiologist at Inspira Medical Center Vineland, must capture and interpret detailed images of bones and joints. A Clear Picture Diagnostic imaging is not as easy as taking a photograph. Doctors can encounter complications when performing diagnostic imaging tests on children who are injured while playing sports. "Growing children have growth plates in their bones," Dr. Bhagat said. "Not only are these changing areas more prone to becoming injured, they may also appear as lines on an X-ray, which can make finding true fractures difficult." In cases like these or when an X-ray image does not show any damage but a child is still in pain, Inspira radiologists turns to magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), which allows them to clearly see the bones, identify swelling, and examine muscles, ligaments and tendons around joints and bones that may also be damaged. Once the radiologist has a clear picture of a potential injury, he or she communicates closely with physician colleagues to create treatment plans to help young players get back to the sports they love — safely. TO FIND A DOCTOR FOR YOUR CHILD, CALL 1-800-INSPIRA (467-7472) OR VISIT www.InspiraHealthNetwork.org AND CLICK ON "FIND A DOCTOR." "It's important to have a clear picture of exactly what is wrong before treating a sports-related injury. If damage goes undiagnosed, children may hurt them- selves further by continuing to play a sport or carrying out daily activities." — Nitesh Bhagat, M.D., Radiologist A CLOSER LOOK at Injuries in Young Athletes

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