Diagnostic imaging modalities, including X-rays, ultrasound, CT, MRI, and nuclear-medicine techniques, have gained a central role in the management of abnormalities affecting the musculoskeletal system. Imaging is profoundly involved in the initial diagnosis, in the grading, and in the follow-up of the patient with musculoskeletal diseases. The authors of this 1161-page textbook give an eloquent demonstration of this all. The editors, Kirkland Davis, Donna Blankenbaker, and Stephanie Bernard, are three well-known American experts of musculoskeletal imaging, from the centers of Madison and Fort Sam Huston. A contribution is accredited to thirteen American authors.

As clearly stated in the title of this volume, a first choice was made to exclude traumatic abnormalities and to focus on the nontraumatic disease. Yet the latter is already a very wide topic by itself. The text is divided into eleven sections. This includes (1) arthritis, (2) bone tumors and tumor-like conditions, (3) soft-tissue tumors, (4) congenital and developmental abnormalities, (5) dysplasias, (6) systemic diseases with musculoskeletal involvement, (7) orthopedic implants and arthrodesis, (8) infection, (9) bone marrow, (10) metabolic bone disease, and (11) drug-induced and nutritional musculoskeletal conditions. Hence, all main fields of musculoskeletal disease are covered. Each section starts with some introductive pages. Then, each abnormality is schematically illustrated in the same way, with the following key facts: terminology, imaging, differential diagnosis, pathology, clinical issues, diagnostic checklist, and selected references.

Elsevier has released by now eighteen books in the series named Diagnostic Imaging. We believe that this volume, written in a very simple and clear manner, is ideal for whoever wants to improve his knowledge on the musculoskeletal applications of diagnostic imaging. This book is at the same time essential and comprehensive. It perfectly matches the standard from Elsevier, a publisher who always proposes concise, schematic, updated, and very well edited books. This hardcover volume has an elegant and practical graphic. There are more than 3,750 images with an additional 2,100 + digital-only examples. All illustrations have a good number of arrows clearly pointing to the key findings. The pictures adequately demonstrate the possibilities of diagnostic imaging, with a preponderance of X-rays and MRI cases. Among all imaging modalities, we have to note that not much room is reserved to ultrasound, even in topics such as the soft tissues tumors were this technique plays a key role, at least in the initial assessment of any palpable mass. This is the only limitation we could find in this textbook.

The volume is well designed and user friendly and may be very helpful to be employed at work, when the radiologist reporting an imaging study feels the need for rapidly “refreshing” some aspect. Also, the students as well as the clinicians may better understand the possibilities and limitations of diagnostic imaging by reading this book. Probably, instead, it is not the book to be used alone from the very expert in musculoskeletal imaging, who will find this book too concise, requiring some deeper supplementary information. All other radiologists, orthopedics, physiatrists, and rheumatologists should have it in their library.