Imaging services at the Paralympic Games London 2012: analysis of demand and distribution of workload

Abstract

MRI was the most used imaging resource and CT was the least used imaging modality at the Paralympic village polyclinic. Analysis of demographic data provides a useful index for planning radiology infrastructure and manpower at future international competitions for athletes with a disability.

Perspective on imaging services at the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games

“…Sixty percent of tendon pathologies involved the shoulder rotator cuff tendons and close to 90 % of the muscle tears were in the lower limbs. The majority of the ligament injuries diagnosed on imaging were in the ankle joint [4]. Most of the imaging performed during the Paralympics was for suspected upper limb injuries in athletes in contrast to the able-bodied athletes scanned during the Olympic Games, where the majority of radiological investigations performed were for suspected lower limb injuries.…”

“…Of these, 254 (39 %) were MRIs, 216 were x-rays (33 %), 157 were US (24 %) and 28 (4 %) were CTs. Nearly 65 % of all radiological examinations were performed on athletes and the rest on team officials and the workforce [4].…”

“…To collect detailed demographic data and to quantify the diagnostic and therapeutic impact of imaging at the games, a part industry-funded imaging fellow was appointed. This allowed more comprehensive data on imaging to be acquired and published [1,4]. We hope to convey important learning points from our experiences, which could be helpful in planning and setting up imaging services at future major international sporting events.…”