Larry Smith Presents: The MRI Whisperer

A few years ago when I was having knee problems of my own I met a fellow, Raji Patel, who worked at the local imaging center.  What he told me about my own MRI was so amazing that I dubbed him the MRI Whisperer - the Adrian Monk of that particular specialty.

We at The Apple were able to obtain the MRI images taken on David Wright's upper and lower back.  I took these to Raji and without telling him the name or occupation of the patient (I called him "Patient W") asked him to tell us what he could glean.

RP: I know one thing for sure Mr. Larry.  These are not images of YOUR back.

LS: And how do you know that?

RP: Clearly this is the back of a young athletic man in fine physical shape.  This is not you my rotund and elder friend.

LS: Yes, well.  Never mind.  I'll concede that this is not my MRI.  Go on.

RP: I believe this is a man, perhaps an athlete of some kind or a lumberjack.  But if he is a lumberjack he would indeed be a poor one.

LS:  Come again?

RP: I see from the stress pattern here that if this man is a lumberjack he must miss his target on more than a rare occasion.  Is this not so?

LS: Well he's not a lumberjack and yes he misses his target on much more than a rare occasion.

RP: I also see flexibility characteristics such that if he plays tennis he would be skilled at coming quickly in for a shot.  Does he do that?

LS: Not a tennis player but in his work he does come in well (thinking of Wright's superior ability to barehand bunts and slow rollers).

RP: Perhaps then he plays your American game of Baseball.  Might this be correct?
LS: Yes Raji.  This is the MRI of a baseball player.

RP: And this small stress fracture I see appears to be of recent origin.  Has our patient W been playing despite this fracture?

LS:  Until recently I'm afraid he has.

RP:  Then I suppose he has been hitting poorly.

LS: Oh, yeah.  I can't believe you can see all of that from these shadowy images.

RP:  I believe this player of baseball will be able to resume his activities after a few weeks of rest.

LS:  And then he'll be able to hit good again?


RP: Does he play for that team you are always rooting for and complaining about?

LS:  Actually, yes he does.

RP:  Then I tend to doubt it.

All articles featured on The Apple are fictitious. No Mets were harmed in the writing of this story. Story by Larry Smith.  You can follow Larry Smith on twitter @dr4sight

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