Treatment for osteoarthritis (OA) has traditionally
focused on joint replacement for end-stage disease. An increasing number
of surgical and pharmaceutical strategies for disease prevention
have now been proposed. However, these require the ability to identify
OA at a stage when it is potentially reversible, and detect small
changes in cartilage structure and function to enable treatment
efficacy to be evaluated within an acceptable timeframe. This has
not been possible using conventional imaging techniques but recent
advances in musculoskeletal imaging have been significant. In this
review we discuss the role of different imaging modalities in the
diagnosis of the earliest changes of OA. The increasing number of
MRI sequences that are able to non-invasively detect biochemical
changes in cartilage that precede structural damage may offer a
great advance in the diagnosis and treatment of this debilitating
condition. Cite this article:
From a retrospective, cohort study of 205 patients diagnosed with full-thickness tears of the rotator cuff, we determined, using ultrasound, the prevalence of such tears in their 129 siblings. Using 150 spouses as controls, the relative risk of full-thickness tears in siblings The significantly increased risk for tears in siblings implies that genetic factors play a major role in the development of full-thickness tears of the rotator cuff.
We performed MRI on 13 infants after operative reduction for developmental dysplasia of the hip (DDH). Using an axial gradient-echo sequence, MRI accurately depicted the acetabular anatomy and confirmed adequate reduction in 12 patients. The one patient with redislocation after surgery was correctly identified. MRI can be carried out quickly, inexpensively and without risk of radiation and is the investigation of choice to confirm adequate reduction in DDH.
