Explore the vast range of titles available.

Complications in musculoskeletal interventions are rare and where they do occur tend to be minor, and often short-lived or self-limiting. Nonetheless, the potential for significant complications exists, and a thorough understanding of both the mechanisms which contribute and the manner in which they may clinically present is of critical importance for all musculoskeletal radiologists involved in performing procedures, both to mitigate against the occurrence of complications and to aid rapid recognition. The purpose of this review is to analyse the relevant literature to establish the frequency with which complications occur following musculoskeletal intervention. Furthermore, we highlight some of the more commonly discussed and feared complications in musculoskeletal intervention, such as the risk of infection, potential deleterious articular consequences including accelerated joint destruction and the poorly understood and often underestimated systemic effects of locally injected corticosteroids. We also consider both extremely rare but emergent scenarios such as anaphylactic reactions to medications, and much more common but less significant complications such as post-procedural pain. We suggest that meticulous attention to detail including strict adherence to aseptic technique and precise needle placement may reduce the frequency with which complications occur.

Intra-articular viscoelastic supplements are commonly administered by musculoskeletal radiologists for the treatment of symptomatic osteoarthritis (OA). This article provides an overview of the putative mechanism of action of the agents, a brief review of the evidence base underlying the practice, a commentary on some of the major society guidelines regarding the treatment, and a description of the adverse events that are associated with intra-articular hyaluronic acid administration.

ObjectiveAs cancer treatments continue to improve, the incidence of spinal metastases and the need for surgical management of these with fixation procedures are growing rapidly. Traditionally metallic implants, composed of titanium alloy, have been used in surgical fixation of unstable or symptomatic vertebral metastases or traumatic injuries. Metallic implants, however, cause significant artifact on post-operative imaging, degrading image quality and limiting interpretation, and can also impair the planning and delivery of radiotherapy. Composite carbon fiber–based materials, such as carbon fiber–reinforced polyetheretherketone (PEEK), have been developed to overcome these issues and are now available for spinal fixation procedures. We aimed to review the multimodal imaging features of these new implants.Materials and methodsCurrent literature and a case example from our institution were used to describe the multimodal imaging characteristics and considerations of new carbon fiber-based spinal fixation implants.ResultsNew carbon fiber-based spinal implants allow far greater visualization of surrounding structures on post-operative cross-sectional imaging, significantly improving diagnostic accuracy and precision of radiotherapy planning, and do not significantly absorb or scatter X-ray photons during radiotherapy delivery. There are, however, important surgical and radiologic considerations associated with the use of carbon fiber-based implants which radiologists must be aware of, such as implications for surgical planning and intra-operative fluoroscopic and post-operative plain radiographic imaging.ConclusionThe use of carbon fiber-based implants, rather than traditional metallic implants, for spinal fixation offers significant advantages for post-operative diagnostic imaging and radiotherapy planning and delivery.

Aim The purpose of our study was to review a large cohort of athletes of all levels presenting with groin pain who underwent investigation with MRI and to determine what the commonest patterns of injury were. We aimed to explore whether particular findings were commonly found in association and whether measurable gender differences exist in the incidence of specific injuries. Materials and methods Imaging records were reviewed to identify MRI studies of the pelvis performed for the investigation of groin pain in patients who were active in sports/athletic pursuits. Findings were classified and recorded as follows: injury to the common rectus abdominis/adductor longus origin, injury to the short adductor muscles, pubic bone oedema, pubic symphysis degenerative changes, hip joint injury and ‘other’. The prevalence of specific injuries in female athletes compared to males was analysed using relative risk ratios. Results A total of 470 athletes underwent MRI for the investigation of groin pain during the study period. Forty-six were female, and 424 were male. Female athletes were significantly less likely to have rectus abdominis-adductor longus (RR = 0.31, p  = .017), short adductor (RR = 0.14, p  = .005) or hip (RR = 0.41, p  = .003) injuries. Pubic bone degenerative changes were much more common in female athletes (RR = 7.37, p  = .002). Conclusion Significant gender differences exist in the frequency with which specific injuries are observed. Female athletes are also significantly underrepresented; this is likely a multifactorial phenomenon; however, the possibility of unconscious referrer bias must be considered.

ObjectiveTo establish the incidence and define the nature of complications occurring following image-guided musculoskeletal injections at our institution.Materials and methodsAll patients undergoing image-guided musculoskeletal injection during the study period (16/3/2016 to 24/01/2020) were included. Departmental records were reviewed to identify all patients describing possible complications following injection, what therapy was required (if any) and what the outcome was. No patients were excluded. Complications were classified as minor or major. Injections were categorised as follows: cervical spine, lumbar facet joint, lumbar nerve root, caudal epidural and ‘other’. The complication rate for each individual category of procedure was compared with the combined complication rate for all other categories by constructing contingency tables and using Fisher’s exact test.ResultsA total of 8226 patients underwent image-guided musculoskeletal injections within the study period. Exactly 100 patients were identified as having reported a complication, producing an overall complication rate of 1.2%. One complication was categorised as ‘major’, with the patient requiring expedited surgery. The remainder (99 patients) were categorised as having experienced minor complications. The incidence of complications after ‘other’ injections was significantly greater than for other categories of injection (1.86%, p = 0.028). There was no significant difference in the complication rate for cervical spine (0.93%, p = 0.257), lumbar nerve root (0.85%, p = 0.401), lumbar facet joint (0.67%, p = 0.326) or caudal epidural (1.29%, p = 0.687) injections. ‘Other’ injections were subsequently further sub-categorised by anatomical site and imaging modality used. Glenohumeral (2.97%, p = 0.0361) and sacro-iliac (3.51%, p = 0.0498) joint injections were associated with a significantly increased risk of complications. There was no difference in the incidence of complications with fluoroscopic or ultrasound guidance.ConclusionIn conclusion, image-guided musculoskeletal injections are safe and well-tolerated procedures. Complications are rare, occurring in just 1.2% of patients. 99% of complications are minor, either not requiring intervention or resolving with simple supportive treatment.

Background MR arthrography (MRA) has previously been the radiological gold standard for investigating labral and chondral lesions of the hip joint. In recent years, 3T MRI has demonstrated comparable accuracy, being adopted as the first-line imaging investigation in many institutions. Aims We compare the associated increased cost and radiation dose of the fluoroscopic component of the MRA compared to MRI. Methods In this retrospective review over 2 years, 120 patients (mean age 27.3 years ± 13.2, range 8–67) underwent 3T MRA or non-contrast 3T MRI. Three musculoskeletal radiologists reported the data independently. Primary objectives included cost-comparison between each and radiation dose of the fluoroscopic component of the MRA. Secondary objectives included comparing detection of pathology involving the acetabular labrum, femoral cartilage, and acetabular cartilage. Results Then, 58 (48%) underwent 3T MRA and 62 (52%) patients underwent 3T MRI. The added cost of the fluoroscopic injection prior to MRA was €116.31/patient, equating to €7211.22 savings/year. MRA was associated with a small radiation dose of 0.003 mSv. Conclusions Transitioning from 3T MRA to 3T MRI in the investigation of intra-articular hip pathology increases cost savings and reduces radiation dose.

Objectives Patients with TIA and minor stroke commonly undergo CT and CTA in the emergency department with subsequent MRI with MRA for further workup. The purpose of this study was to review outpatient MRIs for TIA/stroke patients to assess the additional benefit, if any, of the MRA sequence in the detection of intracranial atherosclerotic disease in patients for whom CTA had already been performed. Methods The radiology reports of outpatient MRIs of the brain for TIA/minor stroke patients were retrospectively reviewed via the hospital PACS system. Following this, the imaging report from the patient’s initial presentation to the emergency department was reviewed. This index imaging and subsequent MRI were compared to assess the incidence of new vascular findings detected on the MRA sequence in patients for whom CTA had already been performed. Where new lesions had been identified at follow-up, the imaging was retroactively reviewed to assess if they were present on the index imaging. Results Two hundred seven consecutive patients were reviewed. Significant (> 50%) intracranial atherosclerotic disease was present on MRA in 18 patients (8.7%). This was a new finding in 11 patients. Five had initial CTA where the atherosclerosis was not detected. All 5 of these cases were located in the posterior cerebral arteries. Incidental aneurysms were seen in 14 (6.7%); 12 were a new finding at time of MRI. Conclusion The MRA sequence provides additional value by increasing the detection of clinically important intracranial atherosclerotic disease which may inform management in patients with minor stroke and TIA.

Objectives To assess the most common lower limb acute muscle injuries on MRI imaging in a national specialist centre for orthopaedics and sports medicine and to explore potential gender differences. Methods Over a 3-year time period, all MRI lower limb studies with acute muscle injury (AMI) were reviewed. A British Athletics muscle injury classification (BAMIC) was given and a statistical analysis was performed. Results A total of 195 AMIs were diagnosed: 177 (91%) male and 18 (9%) female injuries (M to F = 9.8:1). The most common lower limb AMIs were BAMIC grade 1a injuries ( n  = 48, 25%). The most commonly injured muscle was biceps femoris ( n  = 87, 45%), specifically grade 1b and grade 2b injuries. There was no significant difference in age between men and women with acute lower limb muscle injuries ( p  = 0.19). Females were 1.5 times more likely to have a lower grade AMI than males, although this did not reach statistical significance ( p  = 0.7) owing to a striking lower number of female patients. There was no significant difference between genders in the likelihood of sustaining a hamstring or quadricep AMI (hamstrings OR = 2.47, p  = 0.14 and quadriceps OR = 0.926, p 0.99). Conclusions Grade 1a is the most common lower limb AMI grade in our institution, accounting for 25%. Biceps femoris is the most commonly injured muscle (45%) with grade 1b and grade 2b being the most frequently encountered grades of biceps femoris injuries. Lower-grade injuries are more common in females compared to males, although not significantly so. Further studies are required to explore possible reasons for this gender gap.

Increased prevalence of low bone mineral density (BMD) and increased fracture incidence are observed in persons living with HIV (PLWH). The trabecular bone score (TBS) is a novel index of bone microarchitecture which improves fracture prediction independent of BMD. The HIV UPBEAT study is a single centre, prospective cohort study that enrolled subjects with and without HIV from similar sociodemographic backgrounds for annual assessments of bone health. TBS was derived from lumbar spine (LS) dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry images. Univariate and multivariable linear regression was used to assess relationships between baseline TBS, BMD, sociodemographic and clinical factors. 463 subjects (201 HIV positive) were included; PLWH were younger and more likely male, of non-African ethnicity and current smokers. HIV was associated with a mean reduction of 0.037 [-0.060, -0.013] (p = 0.002) in TBS. Lower TBS was also associated with male gender, non-African ethnicity, current smoking status and lower LS BMD. HIV remained associated with lower TBS after adjustment for LS BMD, age, gender and ethnicity. However, adjustment for current smoking significantly attenuated the association between HIV and TBS, with further adjustment for higher bone turnover markers largely explaining any residual association. Among the sub-group of PLWH, exposure to protease inhibitors and lower nadir CD4+ T-cell counts were both predictors of lower TBS. PLWH have lower TBS independent of LS BMD. However, this is largely explained by higher current smoking rates and higher bone turnover in those with HIV. Exposure to PI, but not tenofovir disproxil fumarate, also contributed to lower TBS in those with HIV.