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About Dr Ajay Sahu
Personal Profile
Dr Ajay Sahu is a highly experienced Consultant Radiologist with a specialist interest in Musculoskeletal (MSK) and Sports Imaging. He currently works at Circle Health Group and is also a bank Consultant Radiologist at London North West University Healthcare NHS Trust, where he previously held a substantive consultant post.
Dr Sahu completed Royal College of Radiologists–approved (FRCR) training in South West England and undertook a prestigious MSK fellowship at Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital. He also served as a Senior Lecturer at the University of Buckinghamshire and the Gulf Pain School.
Originally trained as an Orthopaedic Surgeon, Dr Sahu obtained his MS Orthopaedics in India in 2003 and worked in the UK for a further five years, completing multiple Orthopaedic fellowships. In 2009, he made a deliberate career transition to Radiology to focus on MSK Radiology, bringing with him nine years of orthopaedic experience, which greatly enhances his diagnostic accuracy and interventional practice.
Experience & Achievements
- 26 years’ medical experience since qualification
- 20 years’ NHS experience, including nearly 10 years as a Consultant Radiologist
- Extensive collaboration with Orthopaedic Surgeons, Rheumatologists, and Sports Physicians
- Practices general and on-call radiology, including paediatrics
- Sports Radiologist at the World Athletics Championships (2017)
- Winner of the Injury (Elsevier) Prize at the British Trauma Society Meeting (2009)
- Certificate of Merit, Radiological Society of North America (2011)
Dr Sahu is a regular invited speaker at national and international conferences and is actively involved in teaching MSK imaging courses and FRCR 2B preparation programmes. He has published ~32 indexed peer-reviewed articles, delivered over 214 lectures and presentations, and serves as a reviewer for leading journals, including the British Medical Journal and the Journal of Hand Surgery.
Clinical Expertise
Diagnostic Imaging:
- Musculoskeletal ultrasound
- MRI scans
- CT scans
- Comprehensive MSK imaging (sports injuries, rheumatology, soft tissue lesions)
- General & urological ultrasound (abdomen, urinary tract, testes, prostate, flow studies)
Ultrasound-Guided MSK Interventions:
- Image-guided therapeutic injections
- Joint and soft-tissue injections (steroids, high-volume injections, dry needling, barbotage)
- Ultrasound-guided PRP injections
- Arthrograms
CT & Fluoroscopy-Guided Interventions:
- Hydrodilatation for frozen shoulder
- CT-guided lumbar spine injections (epidural, nerve root, facet joints)
- CT-guided medial branch blocks
Practice Details
Practice Hours:
- Monday: 13:00pm - 15:30pm
- Wednesday: 13:00pm - 15:30pm
Contact Details:
Educational / Professional Background
- Royal College of Radiologists – approved Radiology Training (FRCR) – South West England
- Musculoskeletal Radiology Fellowship – Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital
- Career transition from Orthopaedics to Radiology (2009) to specialise in MSK Radiology
- Former Substantive Consultant Radiologist – London North West University Healthcare NHS Trust
- Currently Consultant Radiologist (MSK) – Circle Health Group
- MS Orthopaedics (2003) – India. Also worked as an Orthopaedic Surgeon in the UK for 5 years, completing multiple fellowships
Do you specialise in anything unique?
Yes. I have a unique dual background in Orthopaedics and Radiology, which allows me to offer highly specialised expertise in musculoskeletal and sports imaging.
Having trained and worked as an Orthopaedic Surgeon for nine years before specialising in MSK Radiology, I bring a deep understanding of anatomy, biomechanics, surgical decision-making, and clinical management. This enables more precise diagnosis, clinically relevant reporting, and targeted image-guided interventions. I have particular expertise in:
- Elite and professional sports imaging, including experience as a Sports Radiologist at the World Athletics Championships (IAAF 2017)
- Advanced ultrasound, CT, and fluoroscopy-guided MSK interventions
- Complex MSK conditions, sports injuries, and post-operative imaging
- Close multidisciplinary working with Orthopaedic Surgeons, Rheumatologists, and Sports Physicians.
This combined surgical insight and radiological expertise is relatively rare and allows me to deliver accurate diagnoses, effective interventions, and practical guidance for patient management.
Why choose me?
- Unique dual expertise – I am one of the few MSK Radiologists with a prior Orthopaedic Surgery background, bringing surgical insight directly into imaging interpretation and intervention planning.
- Extensive experience – Over 26 years in medicine, including 20 years in the NHS and 11 years as a Consultant Radiologist.
- Specialist MSK & sports focus – Expert in diagnosing and treating complex musculoskeletal and sports-related conditions, from elite athletes to everyday injuries.
- Advanced image-guided interventions – Highly experienced in ultrasound, CT, and fluoroscopy-guided procedures, offering precise, minimally invasive treatment options.
- Multidisciplinary approach – I work closely with Orthopaedic Surgeons, Rheumatologists, and Sports Physicians, ensuring imaging is clinically relevant and directly informs patient care.
- International recognition – Regular invited speaker, award winner, and published author in peer-reviewed journals, reflecting commitment to excellence and evidence-based practice.
- Patient-centred care – Clear communication, accurate diagnosis, and tailored management aimed at achieving the best possible outcomes.
Are you part of a multidisciplinary team?
Yes. I work as an integral part of a multidisciplinary team (MDT), collaborating closely with Orthopaedic Surgeons, Rheumatologists, Sports and Exercise Medicine Physicians, Pain Specialists, Physiotherapists, and General Practitioners.
My role within the MDT includes providing clinically focused MSK imaging, contributing to joint decision-making, and offering image-guided interventional treatments that align with the patient’s overall management plan. My background in Orthopaedic Surgery allows me to bridge the gap between imaging findings and surgical or conservative treatment options, ensuring imaging directly supports patient care.
This collaborative approach ensures accurate diagnosis, coordinated treatment, and optimal outcomes, particularly for complex musculoskeletal and sports-related conditions.
Top Conditions Treated
- Sports injuries – muscle, tendon, ligament, and joint injuries
- Shoulder conditions – rotator cuff tears, impingement, frozen shoulder
- Knee problems – meniscal tears, ligament injuries, cartilage damage
- Hip and groin pain – labral tears, tendinopathy, bursitis
- Elbow, wrist, and hand conditions – tennis/golfer’s elbow, tendon and ligament injuries
- Foot and ankle disorders – Achilles tendon problems, plantar fasciitis, ligament injuries
- Spine-related pain – neck and back pain, nerve root irritation, facet joint disease
- Arthritis and degenerative joint disease
- Rheumatological and inflammatory conditions
- Soft tissue lumps and masses
- Post-operative and complex musculoskeletal cases
- Chronic pain conditions requiring image-guided intervention
Recovery - do your patient have a particularly good recovery or success rate?
My patients generally experience very good outcomes, particularly because diagnosis and treatment are guided by precise imaging, targeted interventions, and close multidisciplinary collaboration.
Several factors contribute to this including accurate, clinically relevant diagnosis, informed by my dual background in Orthopaedic Surgery and MSK Radiology.
While outcomes naturally vary depending on the condition, severity, and individual factors, many patients experience faster recovery, effective pain relief, and a quicker return to function, particularly following image-guided MSK interventions.
The focus is always on delivering safe, evidence-based care that supports the best possible recovery for each individual patient.
A bit about myself
Outside of clinical practice, I enjoy maintaining an active and balanced lifestyle. I enjoy keeping up with developments in sports medicine and orthopaedics, as well as attending conferences and teaching events.
In my spare time, I value time with family and friends, travelling, and staying physically active. These interests help me maintain perspective, energy, and focus, which I bring into my day-to-day clinical work and patient care.
Additionally, here are links to my profiles and a recent podcast interview:
Clinical Interests
- Musculoskeletal (MSK) imaging – comprehensive diagnostic imaging of bones, joints, muscles, tendons, and soft tissues
- Sports and elite athlete imaging, including assessment of acute and chronic sports injuries
- Advanced ultrasound imaging of joints, tendons, ligaments, and soft tissues
- Image-guided MSK interventions, including:
- Ultrasound-guided joint and soft tissue injections
- Ultrasound-guided PRP injections
- Ultrasound-guided High-volume injections, barbotage, and dry needling
- Ultrasound-guided arthrosamid injections
- CT- and fluoroscopy-guided spinal interventions, including epidural, nerve root, facet joint injections, and medial branch blocks
- Hydrodilatation for frozen shoulder
- Post-operative and complex MSK imaging, informed by prior orthopaedic surgical experience
- Rheumatological and inflammatory joint disease imaging
- Elite sports imaging, with experience as a Sports Radiologist at the World Athletics Championships
- Multidisciplinary MSK practice, working closely with Orthopaedic Surgeons, Rheumatologists, and Sports Physicians
