Advanced Imaging of the Postoperative Orthopedic Patient

One of the most challenging areas of musculoskeletal radiology, as with all of radiology, is imaging of the postoperative patient. Although accurate diagnosis of articular disorders can be difficult in native joints, superimposed metallic artifacts, soft tissue scarring, and anatomic alterations make diagnoses more of a challenge. In this issue of Seminars in Musculoskeletal Radiology, Dr. Lawrence White has assembled an esteemed group of collaborators to approach this perplexing problem. They discuss the use of several modalities, including ultrasound, computed tomography (CT), and magnetic resonance (MR) to evaluate the postoperative patient. They review in detail recent advances, including multislice CT and artifact suppression software in both CT and MR.

We are impressed with what Dr. White and his co-contributors have done with this issue and wish to reemphasize one final point with respect to the postoperative patient: always keep in the back of your mind that the original surgery may have been performed for a condition that was not causing the patient's symptoms. Consequently, when the patient comes back for repeat or follow-up imaging with recurrent or new symptoms, consider the fact that the initial diagnosis may have been overlooked and not addressed. We hope you enjoy this issue and find it as informative and educational as we have.

David Karasick, M.D., Mark E. Schweitzer, M.D.

Editors in Chief