The spine, hips, wrists, knees or hands – all of these body joints can have congenital malformations, disease, injuries and disorders that impact a patient’s quality of life. Patients who have pain and discomfort in their joints can often find the source of the problem through an imaging study.

When a patient has a problem or pain in their shoulder, wrist, ankle, knee or hip, the physician may order an arthrogram, or x-ray of the joint using a contrast solution. Using x-ray in motion (fluoroscopy), the radiologist can view the anatomy of the joint in detail to diagnose if a joint needs surgery or replacement.

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MRI, using radio waves and a strong magnet to produce images of the body, is an excellent imaging choice for showing the joints in detail. The knee and shoulder are normally imaged using MRI as it produces precise, three-dimensional pictures of the joint. However, MRI yields clear images of nearly every joint in the body, since it shows bony structures that are not visible using other imaging techniques. MRI can help physicians find the source of pain, inflammation, infection and bleeding in area in and around the joints and bones. It is considered better than traditional x-ray when trying to find small tears, injuries to tendons, muscles and ligaments or tumors. The test is typically ordered for patients who have a sports-related injury or a repetitive motion or impact injury.

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Ultrasound provides a unique and elegant way to evaluate muscles, tendons, and ligaments.

Ultrasound can also be used for therapeutic and diagnostic MSK interventions including cyst aspirations and ultrasound guided medication injections.

MSK ultrasound can be used in many of the same ways as MRI. This can be particularly helpful for those patients who are not candidates for MRI, including pacemaker patients.