Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Role of Imaging in Musculoskeletal Care

  • Musculoskeletal Rehabilitation (Neil A. Segal, Section Editor)
  • Published:
Current Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Reports Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Imaging in the diagnosis of musculoskeletal disorders is an integral part of patient care. Knowing the basics about imaging tests and their capabilities and limitations are becoming increasingly important for the rehabilitation physicians not only to have a better understanding of information provided in the radiologist’s report but also to independently review the images. Radiographs, ultrasound, CT, MRI, and nuclear medicine examinations are the main imaging modalities available for diagnosis of musculoskeletal disorders. Diagnostic imaging information obtained from these imaging techniques is necessary to choose safe and appropriate treatment planning.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1

Similar content being viewed by others

References

Papers of particular interest, published recently, have been highlighted as: • Of importance

  1. Korbe S, Udoji EN, Ness TJ, Udoji MA. Ultrasound-guided interventional procedures for chronic pain management. Pain Manag. 2015;5:466–82.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  2. Silbergleit R, Mehta BA, Sanders WP, Talati SJ. Imaging-guided injection techniques with fluoroscopy and CT for spinal pain management. Radiographics. 2001;21:927–39; discussion 940–2.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  3. Schueler BA. Clinical applications of basic x-ray physics principles. Radiographics. 1998;18:731–44.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  4. Goldman LW. Principles of CT: multislice CT. J Nucl Med Technol. 2008;36:57–68.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  5. McCollough CH, Bruesewitz MR, Vrtiska TJ, King BF, LeRoy AJ, Quam JP, et al. Image quality and dose comparison among screen-film, computed, and CT scanned projection radiography: applications to CT urography. Radiology. 2001;221:395–403.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  6. Pretorius ES, Fishman EK. Volume-rendered three-dimensional spiral CT: musculoskeletal applications. Radiographics. 1999;19:1143–60.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  7. Hayashi D, Hamilton B, Guermazi A, de Villiers R, Crema MD, Roemer FW. Traumatic injuries of thigh and calf muscles in athletes: role and clinical relevance of MR imaging and ultrasound. Insights Imaging. 2012;3:591–601.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  8. Hayashi D, Roemer FW, D’Hooghe P, Guermazi A. Posterior ankle impingement in athletes: pathogenesis, imaging features and differential diagnoses. Eur J Radiol. 2015;. doi:10.1016/j.ejrad.2015.07.017.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  9. Abu-Zidan FM, Hefny AF, Corr P. Clinical ultrasound physics. J Emerg Trauma Shock. 2011;4:501–3.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  10. Naqvi GA, Jadaan M, Harrington P. Accuracy of ultrasonography and magnetic resonance imaging for detection of full thickness rotator cuff tears. Int J Shoulder Surg. 2009;3:94–7.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  11. Love C, Din AS, Tomas MB, Kalapparambath TP, Palestro CJ. Radionuclide bone imaging: an illustrative review. Radiographics. 2003;23:341–58.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  12. Kilcoyne RF, Shuman WP, Matsen FA III, Morris M, Rockwood CA. The Neer classification of displaced proximal humeral fractures: spectrum of findings on plain radiographs and CT scans. AJR Am J Roentgenol. 1990;154:1029–33.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  13. Akhtar MA, Robinson CM. Computed tomography scan evaluation for recurrent shoulder dislocations after sports injuries. Br J Sports Med. 2010;44:i1. doi:10.1136/bjsm.2010.078972.2abstract.

    Google Scholar 

  14. Murray PJ, Shaffer BS. Clinical update: MR imaging of the shoulder. Sports Med Arthrosc. 2009;17(1):40–8.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  15. Hedstrom EM, Svensson O, Bergstrom U, Michno P. Epidemiology of fractures in children and adolescents. Acta Orthop. 2010;81:148–53.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  16. Stevens MA, El-khoury GY, Kathol MH, Brandswer EA, Chow S. Imaging features of avulsion injuries. Radiographics. 1999;19:655–72.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  17. Pappas N, Bernstein J. Fractures in brief: radial head fractures. J Clin Orthop Relat Res. 2010;468:914–6.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  18. Sonin AH, Tutton SM, Fitzgerald SW, Peduto AJ. MR imaging of the adult elbow. Radiographics. 1996;16:1323–36.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  19. Karl JW, Olson PR, Rosenwasser MP. The epidemiology of upper extremity fractures in the United States, 2009. J Orthop Trauma. 2015;29:e242–4.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  20. Wessely MA, Grenier JM. MR imaging of the wrist and hand—A review of the normal imaging appearance with an illustration of common disorders affecting the wrist and hand. Clin Chiropr. 2007;10:156–64.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  21. Denis F. The three column spine and its significance in the classification of acute thoracolumbar spinal injuries. Spine (Phila Pa 1976). 1983;8:817–31.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  22. Modic MT, Masaryk TJ, Ross JS, Carter JR. Imaging of degenerative disk disease. Radiology. 1988;168:177–86.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  23. Kim H, Kim HS, Moon ES, Yoon CS, Chung TS, Song HT, et al. Scoliosis imaging: what radiologists should know. Radiographics. 2010;30:1823–42.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  24. Wilmink JT. MR imaging of the spine: trauma and degenerative disease. Eur Radiol. 1999;9:1259–66.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  25. Hayashi D, Roemer FW, Mian A, Gharaibeh M, Muller B, Guermazi A. Imaging features of postoperative complications after spinal surgery and instrumentation. AJR Am J Roentgenol. 2012;199:W123–9.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  26. Gupta A, Subhas N, Primak AN, Nittka M, Liu K. Metal artifact reduction: standard and advanced magnetic resonance and computed tomography techniques. Radiol Clin N Am. 2015;53:531–47.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  27. Tuite MJ. Sacroiliac joint imaging. Semin Musculoskelet Radiol. 2008;12:72–82.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  28. Falchi M, Rollandi GA. CT of pelvic fractures. Eur J Radiol. 2004;50:96–105.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  29. Scheinfeld MH, Dym AA, Spektor M, Avery LL, Dym RJ, Amanatullah DF. Acetabular fractures: what radiologists should know and how 3D CT can aid classification. Radiographics. 2015;35:555–77.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  30. Oka M, Monu JU. Prevalence and patterns of occult hip fractures and mimics revealed by MRI. AJR Am J Roentgenol. 2004;182:283–8.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  31. • Guermazi A, Hayashi D, Eckstein F, Hunter DJ, Duryea J, Roemer FW. Imaging of osteoarthritis. Rheum Dis Clin N Am. 2013;39:67–105. Osteoarthritis is high prevalent disease in the aging society. This article gives an overview of imaging techniques for evaluation of osteoarthritic features.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  32. Xu L, Hayashi D, Guermazi A, Hunter DJ, Li L, Winterstein A, Bohndorf K, Roemer FW. The diagnostic performance of radiography for detection of osteoarthritis-associated features compared with MRI in hip joints with chronic pain. Skeletal Radiol. 2013;42:1421–8.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  33. Markhardt B, Gross J, Monu J. Schatzker classification of tibial plateau fractures: use of CT and MR imaging improves assessment. Radiographics. 2009;29:585–97.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  34. • Naraghi A, White LM. MR imaging of cruciate ligaments. Magn Reson Imaging Clin N Am. 2014;22:557–80. Cruciate ligament injuries are the most commonly reconstructed ligamentous injuries of the knee. Accurate preoperative diagnosis is very important in optimal treatment of patients with cruciate ligament injuries.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  35. Alatakis S, Naidoo P. MR imaging of meniscal and cartilage injuries of the knee. Magn Reson Imaging Clin N Am. 2009;17:741–56.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  36. Peterfy C, Kothari M. Imaging osteoarthritis: magnetic resonance imaging versus x-ray. Curr Rheumatol Rep. 2006;8:16–21.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  37. Hayashi D, Guermazi A, Kwoh CK. Clinical and translational potential of MRI evaluation in knee osteoarthritis. Curr Rheumatol Rep. 2014;16:391.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  CAS  Google Scholar 

  38. Guermazi A, Roemer FW, Haugen IK, Crema MD, Hayashi D. MRI-based semiquantitative scoring of joint pathology in osteoarthritis. Nat Rev Rheumatol. 2013;9:236–51.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  39. Eckstein F, Wirth W, Nevitt MC. Recent advances in osteoarthritis imaging—the osteoarthritis initiative. Nat Rev Rheumatol. 2012;8:622–30.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  40. Guermazi A, Alizai H, Crema MD, Trattnig S, Regatte RR, Roemer FW. Compositional MRI techniques for evaluation of cartilage degeneration in osteoarthritis. Osteoarthr Cartil. 2015;23:1639–53.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  41. Hayashi D, Roemer FW, Katur A, Felson A, Yang SO, Alomran F, Guermazi A. Imaging of synovitis in osteoarthritis: current status and outlook. Semin Arthritis Rheum. 2011;41:116–30.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  42. Doherty C, Delahunt E, Caulfield B, Hertel J, Ryan J, Bleakley C. The incidence and prevalence of ankle sprain injury: a systematic review and meta-analysis of prospective epidemiological studies. Sports Med. 2014;44:123–40.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  43. Perrich KD, Goodwin DW, Hecht PJ, Cheung Y. Ankle ligaments on MRI: appearance of normal and injured ligaments. AJR Am J Roentgenol. 2009;193:687–95.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  44. Ahmadi ME, Morrison WB, Carrino JA, Schweitzer ME, Raikin SM, Ledermann HP. Neuropathic arthropathy of the foot with and without superimposed osteomyelitis: MR imaging characteristics. Radiology. 2006;238:622–31.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Radiology, Bridgeport Hospital, Yale New Haven Health System, Bridgeport, 267 Grant Street, Bridgeport, CT, USA

    Yogesh Kumar & Daichi Hayashi

Authors
  1. Yogesh Kumar
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Daichi Hayashi
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Daichi Hayashi.

Additional information

This article is part of the Topical Collection on Musculoskeletal Rehabilitation.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Kumar, Y., Hayashi, D. Role of Imaging in Musculoskeletal Care. Curr Phys Med Rehabil Rep 4, 28–36 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40141-016-0106-9

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40141-016-0106-9

Keywords

Search

Navigation