Difficulty in Diagnosing Injury to the Spine – New Technology may hold the answer
People seeking my assistance with their accident and injury cases often have significant pain and disability, but little in the way of “objective” evidence to go with their “subjective complaints of pain and discomfort. In a court of law, the “objective proof” is often critical to the members of the jury who are familiar with x-rays of broken bones, scars, bleeding and other reproduceable signs and symptoms of serious and permanent physical injury.
DMX or Digital Motion X-Ray (DMX) technology may be helpful in these cases, as it was in one of our workers compensation fatality claims. DMX is a fluoroscopic x-ray that combines digital and optic technology with well known x-ray and motion x-ray technology. The combination of technologies enables the physician to produce and record real-time images of the patient’s joint function as they move. This produces a highly useable digital image of skeletal activity, which, in turn, enables the health care provider to more accurately pinpoint the problem and then outline a treatment plan.
According to the Loudoun Spine & Sports Care (www.getoutofpain.com/ imaging_dmx.php) website: “Patients are relieved to literally see why they are in pain. DMX studies may be most helpful in discovering undetected injuries when routine x-rays are found to be normal.”
“Digital Motion X-Ray technology improves the quality and usability of traditional X-Ray technology. X-ray has been in existence for over 100 years and is the oldest accepted diagnostic tool used by physicians and other healthcare practitioners.”
“DMX records at a rate of 30 frames per second. A typical cervical spine study will provide 2700 images while only exposing the patient to the same amount of radiation as 5-6 static x-rays. Each study is recorded on CD or DVD and can be played back in real time, slow motion or freeze frame. With Picture-in-Picture technology, the patient can be seen externally while viewing his/her skeletal function.”