Tendon, Ligament & Muscle
Advanced imaging for tendon tears, ligament injury and persistent soft-tissue pain.
Why Diagnosis Comes First
A useful diagnosis of tendon, ligament or soft tissue pain needs to be specific.
Broad labels such as strain or tendinopathy don’t always explain the underlying issue or guide the next step.
At MBR Health, advanced 3T MRI and ultrasound are used to assess tissue structure, healing and surrounding inflammation in detail. This diagnosis-led approach helps identify the true source of the problem and guide a more precise treatment pathway.
The source matters
Common causes of tendon, ligament & muscle pain.
- Tendinopathy
Degenerative tendon change can cause thickening, stiffness and chronic pain, commonly affecting the Achilles, patellar tendon, rotator cuff and elbow tendons.
- Partial or Full-thickness Tear
High load or repeated stress may cause partial or complete tearing of a tendon or ligament, with different implications for healing, function and treatment selection.
- Ligament Sprain or Laxity
Stretched or torn ligaments in the knee, ankle, wrist or other joints can lead to persistent instability and recurrent injury.
- Insertional / Enthesis-related Pain
Pain where tendon meets bone can arise from microtears, overload and bony reaction, sometimes before the abnormality is obvious on simpler imaging.
- Post-surgical or Failed Repair Pain
Persistent symptoms after reconstruction or tendon repair may reflect incomplete healing, graft-related change, scar tissue, re-tear or altered biomechanics.
How we investigate
3T MRI for Tendon & Ligament Injury
A 3T MRI provides high-resolution imaging of tendon fibers, ligament integrity, surrounding soft tissues, bone marrow and associated joint structures.
Best for: tendon tears, ligament injury, tendon pain, muscle pain, post-surgical review and complex soft-tissue assessment.
Ultrasound for Tendon,
Ligament & Insertional Pain
Ultrasound provides real-time imaging of tendons, superficial ligaments, muscles, bursae, and insertional structures. It can also be useful for dynamic assessment and selected image-guided procedures.
Best for: tendinopathy, bursitis, superficial tears, enthesopathy, dynamic assessment, and procedural guidance.
Spectral CT for Complex Structural Correlation
Spectral CT can provide detailed assessment of bone, calcification, avulsion injury, post-surgical hardware and selected complex tendon-bone interfaces where bony detail matters.
Best for: insertional pathology, avulsion injury, calcific change, post-surgical assessment and complex structural review.
X-ray for Alignment, Avulsion & Calcific Change
X-ray remains useful for assessing alignment, avulsion injury, calcification and bony sequelae around chronic tendon and ligament pathology.
Best for: avulsion injury, calcific tendinopathy, alignment, chronic overload patterns and baseline structural assessment.
ACL RUPTURE ON 3T MRI OF KNEE Treatment Philosophy
Treatment is guided by tissue quality and structural diagnosis.
At MBR Health, the first step is identifying whether the primary issue relates to tendon degeneration, partial tearing, ligament insufficiency, insertional change or post-surgical pathology. Where appropriate, patients may then explore image-guided options including PRP, BMAC-derived therapies and other targeted interventions, selected according to the diagnosis and clinical context. These therapies are considered investigational regenerative treatments and are not standard-of-care. MBR Health has proudly pioneered non-surgical ACL repair using regenerative medicine in Australia using the Sherif ACL Protocol.
“The question is not simply whether a tendon or ligament is injured. It is where the injury sits, how the tissue is behaving, and whether the treatment is reaching the right structure and healing it.”
Dr Zane Sherif, Specialist Radiologist
Common Questions from Patients
Frequently Asked Questions
Take the next step
Speak to your healthcare team.
ensure every next step is informed, precise, and designed around you.