Dr. A.Csillag (Radiologist, Nepean Hospital)

CONTENTS

• Plain Films

• Ultrasound

• CT

• MRI

• Scintilgraphy

• First exam (most cases)
• Cheap (relatively)
• Readily available
• Familiar
• Easy to read (?)
• Cover large areas
• Good spatial resolution
• Reproducible

• Sensitivity low in early disease
• Limited soft tissue information
• Cartilage, ligaments, tendons,
• marrow changes, small effusions
• 2D image of 3D anatom

• Inexpensive
• Readily available
• No ionising radiation
• Multiplanar capacity

• Must be high resolution
• Highly operator dependent
• Poor bone detail
• Soft tissues

• Expensive
• Readily available
• Excellent bone detail
• Good for complex anatomy
• Soft tissue contrast
• CT arthrography
• Reproducible

• Ionising radiation
• Attention to technique
• Limited axial slices

• Excellent
• Very good spatial resolution
• Multiplanar capacity
• No ionising radiation
• Arthrography (good DTPA)
• Excellent marrow detail

• Expensive
• Not widely available
• No claustrophobics
• Cortical bone detail
• Expertise (?)
• Metal artefact

• Expensive
• Fairly available
• Physiological information
• Sensitive +++
• Vascular / soft tissue / bone

• Non-specific
• Poor spatial resolution
• Tracer activity depends on vascular
• supply and osteoblastic response