Diffusion-weighted Imaging (DWI) in Musculoskeletal MRI: a Critical Review

Overview

Journal Skeletal Radiol

Specialties Orthopedics
Radiology

Date 2011 Feb 12

PMID 21311884

Citations 72

Authors

Michael M Y Khoo

Philippa A Tyler

Asif Saifuddin

Anwar R Padhani

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is the mainstay of diagnosis, staging and follow-up of much musculoskeletal pathology. Diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (DWI) is a recent addition to the MR sequences conventionally employed. DWI provides qualitative and quantitative functional information concerning the microscopic movements of water at the cellular level. A number of musculoskeletal disorders have been evaluated by DWI, including vertebral fractures, bone marrow infection, bone marrow malignancy, primary bone and soft tissue tumours; post-treatment follow-up has also been assessed. Differentiation between benign and malignant vertebral fractures by DWI and monitoring of therapy response have shown excellent results. However, in other pathologies, such as primary soft tissue tumours, DWI data have been inconclusive in some cases, contributing little additional information beyond that gained from conventional MR sequences. The aim of this article is to critically review the current literature on the contribution of DWI to musculoskeletal MRI.

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