Manchester United boosts health surveillance of players with 3.0T MRI

Last updated Jun 22, 2020

Routine monitoring of player health and specialist sports medicine research projects at Manchester United Football Club have received a boost with the introduction of a Vantage Galan 3.0T MRI from Canon Medical Systems UK.

The system has taken its place in the club’s imaging centre at the Old Trafford training ground alongside CT and ultrasound imaging systems supplied as part of Canon Medical’s role as official medical systems partner.

Manchester United’s doctors and physiotherapists will be able to achieve quicker MRI scans and more detailed image outputs using the new system. Reactive and proactive health surveillance, performance management and injury grading will be optimised due to the enhanced functionality of the system, delivering sharper, clearer images. Players undergoing MRI procedures will benefit from reduced noise due to Pianissimo and Pianissimo Zen technologies.

Head of football medicine and science Dr Steve McNally said: “Even the smallest injury in elite sports has implications. Having the right diagnostic tool at the peak of its development is vital to diagnosing subtle injuries that could impact player health. Using high resolution MRI helps to identify very minute intra-articular joint injuries, Manchester United boosts health surveillance of players with 3.0T MRI muscle oedema changes or very small fibre tears.

“We are looking forward to the additional opportunities the technology provides for specialist imaging and post-processing applications that will enhance our performance imaging and athlete health surveillance projects.”

EasyTech Cardiac incorporating CardioLine+, an application that automatically identifies all the right and left ventricular and cardiac valvular planes, is included in the installation, which will be useful for proactive health surveillance campaigns.

Picture: Manchester United Football Club has added a Vantage Galan 3.0T MRI to its imaging centre.

Published on page 22 of the April 2020 issue of RAD Magazine.