MRI of the Musculoskeletal System by Thomas H. Berquist, ed. (4th edition)
Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, Philadelphia, 2000, $199.
We would all like to see a musculoskeletal MRI book good enough to serve as the sole reference for the general radiologist. Berquist’s text comes closest to fulfilling that need. It is encyclopedic in scope, well written, and well illustrated.
The text appropriately emphasizes the most common abnormalities of the musculoskeletal system. For instance, there are about 25 pages dealing with menisci, including excellent descriptions of anatomy, mechanisms of injury, methods of imaging, uncommon meniscal problems, artifacts and pitfalls.
There are copious illustrations of various types of meniscal tears, and line drawings assist the reader in moving from the MR image to an understanding of the three-dimensional anatomy. Less common entities are also given their due, and thanks to an excellent index, a reader will have no difficulty finding discussions of iliotibial band syndrome or diabetic muscle infarctions, for example. The bibliography is large and well chosen.
The book begins with several chapters of basic information on physics, technical aspects of MRI, and principles of interpretation, which are useful for residents and clinicians. The remainder is divided into chapters based on anatomic region, followed by chapters on infection, tumors and miscellaneous disorders. Even the temporomandibular joint is not forgotten, having been given its own chapter.
Substantial effort has been put into the cross-referencing of chapters, which is unusual for a multi-authored book. For instance, avascular necrosis is discussed most extensively in the chapter on the hip, and that chapter is referred to in sections on other joints. The chapter on neoplasms is excellent, so it would have been preferable to eliminate the redundant discussions of neoplasms found elsewhere in the book. I wish there were a chapter on arthritis, which is discussed in a very fragmentary manner in several different chapters.
There is an atlas of cross-sectional anatomy at the beginning of each appropriate chapter. The atlases are well done, although the drawings accompanying the MR images are insufficiently detailed to add new information, and could have been eliminated without compromising the quality of the book.
Minor quibbles aside, this book is highly readable, thorough, and accurate. I heartily recommend it not only to practicing and resident radiologists, but to anyone interested in sports medicine.
By Dr. Julia CrimAuntMinnie.com contributing writer
June 13, 2002
Dr. Crim is chief of musculoskeletal radiology and associate professor at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City. She is the co-author of Imaging of the Foot and Ankle (Lippincott, Williams & Wilkins, Philadelphia, 1996).
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