Some injuries are fairly obvious right when they occur. Pectoral injuries are some of those injuries. MRI of these injuries can be necessary, though, for some patients. In this Ask Dr. Geier video, I explain what the role of MRI is for a pectoral injury.

Scott asks:
I was wondering if a shoulder MRI will show a pectoral tear. I injured my chest and arm, but the shoulder MRI is showing nothing wrong. Do I need a chest or arm MRI?

A pectoral injury is difficult. The athlete or active person has a lot of pain when the injury occurs, and the chest and arm often turn black and blue. Just overcoming the pain and swelling can take several weeks.

Some pectoral tears actually have the best long-term outcomes with surgical treatment. In this video, I explain which types of pectoral injuries orthopaedic surgeons often repair surgically and how we know if a patient might have such an injury.

Also read:
Ask Dr. Geier – Pectoral Tendon Injuries
Ask Dr. Geier – Should I get an x-ray or MRI?

Pectoral injury causing shoulder pain

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