According to a new study performed at the Steadman-Philippon Research Institute and presented at the American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine's Specialty Day at the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons annual meeting, physicians should not replace clinical observation with the use of MRI.

Ultrasound guided injections can position pain practices with several clinical and business advantages, says Neil Chatterjee, MD, a pain physician with Virginia Spine Institute in Reston, Virginia. "An ultrasound is a strategic addition to many practices, as  it can improve outcomes for injections," he says. "During our residencies and fellowships, we learn to perform most peripheral joint injections in the absence of any guidance modalities. However, physicians may have a higher miss rate without the ultrasound guidance."

New research from Johns Hopkins University found routine MRI imaging does not improve treatment and does not play a role in a physician's decision to give epidural steroid injections, the most common procedure performed at pain clinics in the U.S., according to a university news release.

James Andrews, MD, a sports medicine physician and founder of Andrews Institute for Orthopaedics & Sports Medicine in Gulf Breeze, Fla., recently released the results of a study he conducted measuring the effectives of MRI on professional athletes, according to a report from The New York Times.

Positional MRI can play an important role in evaluating patients with spondylolysis and isthmic spondylolisthesis because all three types of instabilities are common and associated with radicular pain, according to a study published in Spine.

As a screening tool, MRI studies may not yield the information necessary to make an appropriate diagnosis of an orthopedic or spine condition, according to a release from National Pain Centers.

Arian Foster, a running back for the Texas Texans, recently linked a picture of an MRI taken of his injured hamstring to his Twitter account, which has sports medicine physicians talking, according to an ESPN report.

Illinois Bone & Joint Institute in Chicago has added the Oasis High-Field Open MRI System for diagnosing orthopedic, rheumatologic and other medical conditions, according to a practice news release.

With the quick expansion of mobile apps in the medical profession, the Food and Drug Administration laid out draft guidance and recommendations for the regulation of some medical mobile apps, according to FDA guidance.

Here are five things orthopedic practice administrators should know about adding ancillary services.