Strategies for musculoskeletal magnetic resonance imaging.

Abstract

There is a broad range of clinical applications for MRI in the diagnosis of musculoskeletal disease, and the emphasis in this article is on the evaluation of the joints and extremities. A discussion of basic principles, including radiofrequency coils, positioning, pulsing sequences, imaging planes, and technical parameters is followed by discussions of tailored approaches to the evaluation of mass lesions and joint pathology for specific regions of the musculoskeletal system. In the final section, consideration is given to the overall role of MRI in the diagnosis of musculoskeletal disorders with respect to other established imaging modalities.