Soundeffects news | Dr Damon Jeetoo (AUS)

Dr Damon Jeetoo (AUS)

MUSCULOSKELETAL

Dr Damon Jeetoo is a diagnostic and interventional musculoskeletal radiologist. After completing his radiology training, he undertook his first subspecialty fellowship in musculoskeletal radiology in Perth, where he was introduced to nerve imaging. This was then followed by a second subspecialty fellowship at Olympic Park in Melbourne, focused on interventions, sports and muscle injuries. Dr Jeetoo’s interests include imaging of sports injuries, imaging of nerves, and musculoskeletal interventions. We chat to Dr Jeetoo about his upcoming conference presentation topics and his thoughts on the conference theme ‘Strength in Collaboration’.

Do you think it would be beneficial to develop sonographic TEAR classification for specific muscles and/or muscle groups?

I am not familiar with the TEAR classification. I think clinicians are accustomed to current classifications e.g. the British Athletics Muscle Injury Classification. In my opinion, it is best to tailor the ultrasound findings in conjunction with what referrers use.

Do you recommend certain measurement techniques for forearm nerves and what dynamic interrogation do you find more effective?

Measurements are helpful but can be misleading. Measurements are helpful to compare to the contralateral normal side. We all know how measurements are related to scanning techniques and are therefore limited in that regard. I prefer a combination of clinical and imaging characteristics.

Do you believe ultrasound can stand alone to answer clinical questions regarding dorsal foot neuropathy or do most patients still rely on MRI?

I think that there is a place for both. The dorsal foot is a tricky area because of the multiple articulations. MRI is great for excluding underlying pathology. It can also show denervation oedema, which raises the suspicion of neuropathy. Why choose between U/S or MRI when you can use both?

Are there any measurement thresholds and specific patient positions that should be utilised in rotator interval assessment?

I use a specific position that A/Prof David Connell taught me. Having said that, the position that allows you to image the supraspinatus should allow you to follow the intra-articular long head of the biceps, and hence image the rotator interval. I do not use measurement thresholds.

Our conference theme this year is ‘Strength in Collaboration’. How important is a collaboration between a sonographer and a radiologist?

I cannot overemphasise how important this is. The real challenge is to make it happen during work hours when the workload is demanding on both parties. This topic is worthy of discussion on its own, which is beyond the scope of this answer.