Introducing Didactic Case Reports in Seminars of Musculoskeletal Radiology

Dear colleagues and esteemed readers,

Musculoskeletal (MSK) radiology plays a central role in modern health care, challenging us as radiologists to make the best possible decisions for our patients and sustainably valuable contributions to their care. To cope with this role, together with rapid technological advancements and evolving clinical paradigms, demands continuous learning and refinement of our skills.

Formal presentations and systematic reviews provide the theoretical foundation and form the backbone in the network of our knowledge. Case-based learning in our day-to-day work, however, is what brings to life, enriches and fills the gaps in this network. It deepens our understanding of all the details that need to be considered in the individual patient, as well as in interacting with our clinical partners and keeping abreast of new radiologic techniques.

In short, it helps to accumulate experience. The experience that is necessary and offers us the freedom to expand and navigate within our knowledge, to fully exploit our strengths but also recognize the limits of both our individual knowledge and our diagnostic tools.

It is with this recognition that we announce the addition of a didactic case report series in Seminars in Musculoskeletal Radiology.

We will present one carefully selected case report per issue in close collaboration with and based on the recommendations of the various national and international radiology MSK societies and associated committees and organizations. These case reports will span the various arenas of MSK diseases (e.g., sports, degeneration, trauma, inflammatory/infectious diseases, tumors, metabolic or developmental disease entities).

Our specific focus is to cultivate a deeper understanding of complex cases through emphasizing a didactic approach. Rare or difficult-to-diagnose case entities are welcome. We want to use them to go beyond mere presentation of the finer nuances of MSK radiology. Our goal is to work out those characteristic details that will enable us in our practical day-to-day work to recognize and deal comprehensively with similar cases or related entities in the future. Discussion and key take-home messages will be tailored to support this educational objective. Detailed step-by-step information for prospective authors is available on the SMR home page.

We especially encourage interested and experienced radiologists to team up with younger colleagues and contribute to this new feature of the journal.

The idea for the “didactic case” section has evolved in numerous discussions within and beyond the editorial board, various MSK societies, and Thieme staff. We would like to extend our sincere thanks to all of you—for sharing your thoughts, taking your time to support us, and your willingness to enable and further contribute to this endeavor.

And we do hope that – whether young, experienced, radiologist or from radiology's neighboring disciplines, you will find some interesting piece of information, imaging pearls, references for further reading, or just simply pleasure reading these didactic case reports.

Sincerely,

Christian Glaser, MD and Connie Y. Chang, MD, Editors-in-Chief

Publication History

Article published online:
20 May 2024