Dear Orthopedic Imaging Insider,
The use of medical imaging in the orthopedic setting has been growing rapidly in recent years. New technologies like digital x-ray, 3-tesla MRI, and contrast-enhanced ultrasound are creating exciting new applications in musculoskeletal imaging, while workhorse modalities like bone scintigraphy continue to prove their value.
But with this growth comes conflict. Orthopedic physicians, alerted to the value of imaging by their colleagues in radiology, want more control. Digital image management may even aggravate the situation, by giving physicians outside radiology access to images almost as soon as they're acquired.
The changing landscape of orthopedic imaging is the subject of this month's Insider Exclusive, which features an interview with Dr. Helene Pavlov, radiologist-in-chief at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York City. In an exclusive Q&A interview with AuntMinnie.com, Dr. Pavlov touches on the major issues facing musculoskeletal radiology from the perspective of a specialized orthopedic hospital.
Dr. Pavlov discusses what she views as the technologies most likely to change the future of orthopedic imaging, and also touches on how radiology should respond to the threat of orthopedic physician self-referral. To read her opinions, just click here.
In other recent news in the Orthopedic Imaging Digital Community, German researchers have found that SPECT/CT can improve the value of bone scintigraphy by providing anatomical details lacking in conventional SPECT. See that story by clicking here.
Another study, by researchers from Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston, found that primary care physicians are increasingly turning to MRI to diagnose low back pain, even though in many cases the modality isn't indicated based on clinical criteria. View that article by clicking here.
