Dear AuntMinnie Member,
The good news in musculoskeletal imaging is that you've got several modalities to choose from, in particular MRI and ultrasound. The bad news is that it can be tough to pick the best one for the job.
We try to help with this dilemma in the first of a two-part series in our Ultrasound Digital Community on ultrasound versus MRI for MSK applications. The article, by staff writer Erik L. Ridley, profiles a recent presentation by researchers from Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia that offers some guidance based on different types of MSK pathology.
In a meta-analysis of published studies, the researchers found ultrasound to be more sensitive and equally specific to MRI for diagnosing a full- or partial- thickness rotator cuff tear. Other areas were more complex -- for example, ultrasound often adds value in the elbow, although MRI may be more sensitive in some situations. In wrist imaging, ultrasound is typically recommended, with MRI likely remaining the best choice for now in ligament studies.
Still, ultrasound's low cost and wide availability make it well-suited as a first-line modality, with equivocal cases sent on to MRI, according to the researchers. Learn more about their recommendations by clicking here.
In another article featured this week in the community, an article by staff writer Shalmali Pal examines recent published case reports on how ultrasound and MRI can help identify cases of intra-abdominal pregnancy, which is often difficult to diagnose. Read about that study by clicking here.
Get these stories and more in our Ultrasound Digital Community, at ultrasound.auntminnie.com.
