An Update on Imaging of Joint Reconstructions

As a teenager in the 1970s I enjoyed watching the television show “The Six Million Dollar Man,” with Lee Majors, about a NASA test pilot who had survived a crash and had been “rebuilt” with special joints and limbs. Although it seemed far-fetched at the time, the replacement of joints and now even intervertebral discs, like so many other things that were once science fiction, has become reality.

While the topic may sound “ho-hum,” it is far from it. Changes in surgical techniques, increasing understanding of biomechanics, and constant advances in materials science make the topic exciting and vibrant. In this issue, a group of renowned musculoskeletal radiologists review the radiographic and advanced imaging appearances of various arthroplasties, ranging from the seemingly ubiquitous, such as hip and knee replacements, to the less common, such as shoulder and small joint replacements, to the newest, disc replacement, which has recently been approved for use in the United States. Although most of the articles concentrate on the radiographic evaluation, three dedicated articles on MR imaging, CT scanning, and sonography indicate that the radiologist no longer has to throw up his or her hands in defeat when confronted with a patient for whom the radiographs do not answer the clinical question. I am especially honored that two of the most knowledgeable and respected people in our field, Dr. Barbara Weissman and Dr. Frieda Feldman, agreed to participate in this issue, sharing their tremendous experience with us.

So move over Lee Majors! Papa's got some new hips, some new knees, and maybe even a few new discs, and he's ready to rock 'n roll.