Perhaps it is as pointless to record a thermogram on a single occasion as it is to measure the ocean's tide on only one occasion. Gerow et al.10 produced a complete sciatic lesion in rats and found a statistically significant thermographic abnormality. It is difficult to extrapolate this data to humans since complete lesions of the sciatic nerve are quite rare. Curiously though, the authors found a return to symmetry in 63 days, raising a question about the possible affect of time on obtaining meaningful and reliable information from thermography. This article is not meant as a review of thermography.
Space is too limited and such articles are legion.
Nor is it intended as a requiem. However, thermography, in my opinion, stands at the virtual escarpment of oblivion. It has failed to weather the storm of critical research and has failed to successfully grab a niche in the management paradigm of soft tissue trauma. More and more these days, it seems that rather than the diagnostic nirvana which was promised to us by thermography pundits, all that we have is more questions. The thermogram is normal.