Service Providers: Radiology

The Sports Science Orthopaedic Clinic provide complete orthopaedic care to the general public and sports persons alike through vast experience of their team of leading Orthopaedic Specialists. Ideally situated within the Sports Science Institute of South Africa complex in Newlands, Cape Town, the SSOC offers unrivalled service to their patients.

Sports teams that are treated at the Orthopaedic Sports Clinic include:

• WP Athletes
• Ajax Football Team
• SA Cricket Team
• The Pakistan Cricket Team
• SA Netball Team

Consulting Rooms

The clinic comprises several Specialist Orthopaedic Surgeons, each focussing on specific joint complaints (list of joints included below) and also provides access to fellow professionals (sports physicians, physiotherapists and biokinecticians) at the SSI, to promote rehabilitative care.

Ultrasound, MRI and X-Ray

The practice has diagnostic ultrasound facilities used in assessing soft tissue injuries (such as muscle tears, ligament strains) and the only Small Magnet MRI machine in the country. The Small Magnet MRI is able to give clarity in many difficult cases at a fraction of the cost of larger MRI machines. In addition to this, a standard x-ray facility is also available on the premises.

Grucox Lab

The clinic also has close links with the ultra high-tech Grucox Laboratory (a revolutionary facility focussing on the eccentric or resisting-force component of muscle rehabilitation) also located in the Sports Science Institute

X-Rays, Radiographers and Radiologists

Simple x-rays are the basic imaging method for diagnosing disease. Plain film x-rays of the chest, sinuses, bones and spine are used as the primary method for diagnosing infections, trauma and diseases of bones due to wear and tear. Your x-ray will normally be taken by a radiographer. These are highly trained technicians. Radiologists are medical specialists and their function is to inspect and interpret the appearances on the film and report the findings to the referring GP or specialist. A radiologist first has to train as a doctor and then spends at least another four years, learning the necessary skills and knowledge to select the most suitable methods and materials for successful diagnosis and to minimize the risks to patients of the powerful equipment. Nowadays much of the radiologist's time is occupied in helping to decide upon the best management of patients' problems, and in performing and interpreting complicated procedures. The SSI radiology unit offers the services of a dedicated musculoskeletal radiologist, who specialises in the imaging of musculoskeletal conditions, ortopaedic problems and sports injuries.

How safe are x-rays?
The risks associated with medical x-rays are frequently exaggerated. It is estimated that the chances of contracting cancer as a result of an x-ray of the chest, for example, are similar to the risks of contracting cancer by inhaling the smoke of one cigarette - about one in a million.

If you are worried about any treatment or scans you may be having, speak again to your GP, your specialist or one of our radiologists. If they know of your concerns they will always make time to explain the examination or treatment in more detail.

M.R.I. - Magnetic Resonance Imaging

This test is similar to a CT scan but uses magnetism and radio waves to build up a series of cross sectional images. MRI pictures are so precise that they often provide as much information as directly looking at the tissues. For this reason MRI has made many X-ray techniques obsolete and has the potential to reduce the number of certain diagnostic procedures. MRI uses no x-rays and the magnetic fields are not known to be harmful. However, it takes longer to obtain the pictures than a conventional x-ray machine, and although the price is coming down all the time, the cost of the equipment means that the tests are necessarily more expensive.

Ultrasound Small Parts

Superficial structures such as the thyroid, breast, scrotal contents and subcutaneous masses are readily examined with a high resolution ultrasound probe. These are simple, painless examinations that usually last approximately 5 minutes.

Emergency Sports Medicine Clinic Service at Sports Science Institute now open to schools on Saturdays.

The Sports Science Orthopaedic Clinic (SSOC) offers complete orthopaedic care to the general public and sports persons alike through vast experience of their team of leading Orthopaedic Specialists. Ideally situated within the Sports Science Institute of South Africa (SSISA) in Newlands, Cape Town, the SSOC offers unrivalled service to their patients.

A unique emergency service for immediate management of sports injuries is now being offered to primary and high schools. The clinic at the SSISA, will be open every Saturday from 09h30-13h00. A doctor can give immediate management to the injury and should X-rays or an MRI scan be required, it can be performed on site. Proper management of an injury in its initial stages can speed up recovery time and get the player back to sport sooner.

The athlete can then be referred to a Sports Physician, Orthopaedic Surgeon, Physiotherapist or Biokineticist if necessary.

For further information please phone (021) 685 5144