Magnetic Resonance Imaging in Orthopedic Sports Medicine

This one-of-a-kind, interdisciplinary book is designed to be a practical resource on orthopedic MR imaging that bridges the backgrounds of radiologists and orthopedic surgeons. Radiologists will benefit from a wealth of information on why surgeons order certain imaging studies. They will also learn orthopedic sports medicine terminology that will help them improve communication and tailor their reports to the specialty. Orthopedic surgeons will gain valuable insight on when to order an MRI, how MRI affects clinical decision making, and how to interpret imaging studies. The text opens with a chapter that introduces important technical elements of MR imaging. Major sections advance the topic by focusing on clinical coverage for the knee and shoulder, which standout as the highest volume anatomical areas for MR imaging in sports medicine. The sections begin with broad discussions of the clinical conditions particular to orthopedic sports medicine, and include general algorithms/flow charts that outline differential diagnosis and potential imaging points. Subsequent chapters expand the discussion with more specific algorithms that show indications for MR imaging and they emphasize examples of important abnormalities and normal variants encountered in a typical practice. In addition, pertinent case studies depict key clinical and exam points, supplemented by correlative MR images and illustrations of anatomy, pathoanatomy, and arthroscopy. The algorithms and case studies not only guide orthopedists through the test selection process, but they also educate radiologists on the clinical concerns and objectives of orthopedic surgeons. Shorter sections highlight other anatomical areas that are imaged in sports medicine, such as the spine, elbow, hip, wrist/hand, and ankle/foot. Additional chapters address the diagnostic accuracy of imaging methods and imaging pitfalls. This book grew from the commonsense notion that orthopedic surgeons and sports medicine clinicians need to und- stand the practical application and interpretation of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for the sake of their clinical pr- tices, while radiologists need broad clinical perspective in order to provide the best and most accurate MRI information upon which patient care decisions must be made. As obvious as that notion might be, relatively little emphasis was placed upon genuine, interdisciplinary MRI education for practicing doctors, especially at the early advent of MRI technology. This need is now much better recognized, evidenced by the growth of excellent lecture-based educational opportunities. Examples include interdisciplinary instructional courses taught by both radiologists and orthopedic surgeons at the Radiological Society of North America and the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons over the last half decade. What has been missing from the educational landscape has been a focused, practical reference that would integrate the basic needs of radiologists and clinicians alike. This was the impetus for the current book, which has been an extra- dinary cooperative venture by authors who were asked to bridge that gap in a single resource: orthopedic surgeons and sports medicine specialists writing for the sake of their radiology colleagues, and radiologists writing for the benefit of their clinician partners. Though magnetic resonance imaging has helped revolutionize the field of orthopedic medicine, a difference in perspective persists between radiology and orthopedic specialists. Magnetic Resonance Imaging in Orthopedic Sports Medicine is an interdisciplinary resource designed to bridge this gap. Radiologists will gain insight into why surgeons order particular imaging studies, and orthopedic surgeons will learn when to order an MRI and how to best interpret its results. An orthopedic expert and a radiology expert weigh in on every chapter to provide in-depth analysis of the spine, shoulder, elbow, wrist, hand, hip, knee, ankle and other topics. Each subject is further examined in case studies, algorithms, flow charts, anatomical illustrations and hundreds of sample MR images. Magnetic Resonance Imaging in Orthopedic Sports Medicine is the only reference that combines the specialized knowledge of radiologists and orthopedic sports medicine physicians to accomplish the goal of better patient care. This uniquely interdisciplinary book is a practical resource on orthopedic MR imaging that bridges the backgrounds of radiologists and orthopedic surgeons. Radiologists learn why surgeons order imaging studies. They also learn terminology that will help them tailor reports to the specialty. Orthopedic surgeons gain insight on when to order an MRI, how MRI affects decision making, and how to interpret images. Case studies also depict key clinical and exam points, supplemented by MR images and illustrations. Shorter sections highlight other anatomical areas, and additional chapters address diagnostic accuracy and imaging pitfalls. Front Matter....Pages i-xiii Muscle....Pages 1-44 Cartilage....Pages 45-82 Bone....Pages 83-112 Spine....Pages 113-156 Shoulder....Pages 157-198 Elbow....Pages 199-219 Wrist....Pages 221-240 Hand and Fingers....Pages 241-272 Hip....Pages 273-312 Knee....Pages 313-365 Ankle....Pages 367-425 Back Matter....Pages 427-439