The NFL Combine is where more than 300 of the top college football players, who are preparing for the NFL draft, perform physical tests for evaluation by NFL coaches, general managers, and scouts. It has been announced that during the combine’s physical examinations, a CARESTREAM DRX-1 detector will be used with the X-ray system currently in place at Lucas Oil Stadium to produce high-quality diagnostic images within seconds. This will help to dramatically speed up the combine process and comes as no surprise as multiple NFL teams, along with many sports organizations worldwide, have already utilized Carestream’s advanced digital radiology products to diagnose player injuries and do so as quickly as possible.
Carestream, a worldwide provider of dental and medical imaging systems and IT solution, and UBMD Orthopedics and Sports Medicine partnered up last October to collaborate on developing a new 3D imaging system to capture orthopedic images of patient extremities. The new 3D medical imaging system that could be utilized in diagnosing recreational sports enthusiasts and a professional athlete is still in the developmental stages.
Discussing what Carestream is trying to do, Diana L. Nole, President of Carestream noted they, “are working closely with leading radiologists, physicians and athletic trainers that specialize in orthopedics and sports medicine to develop new diagnostic imaging products that will offer valuable features and benefits to patients and care providers.”
Meanwhile, physicians from UBMD Orthopedics and Sports Medicine are working with Carestream to conduct studies to pinpoint the advantages of using cone beam CT technology, also known as CBCT, in different diagnosis and treatment of knee injuries.
Imaging using CBCT technology can be used in treating many different types of orthopedic conditions, such as traumatic injuries, joint replacements, arthritis, and osteoporosis. This technology can be used at a lower cost and uses less radiation than today’s full body CT scans.
A major upside of the CBCT technology is that it can capture weight-bearing images of knees, legs, and feet, which CT scans cannot do. Carestream revealed its new CBCT technology at the Professional Football Athletic Trainers Society, which is held annually in conjunction with the NFL Combine. The company will do the same at the American Association of Orthopedic Surgeons conference in March. Because this new technology will lower costs, be less harmful to the human body, see images more quickly, and allow researchers to see more than ever, it should continue to turn heads and spread among the sports world.