Five Years of the Musculoskeletal Radiology Fellowship Match: Trends and Perspectives.

RATIONALE AND OBJECTIVES: The 2023 Match marks 5 years since the Musculoskeletal (MSK) Radiology Fellowship Match first took place in June 2019. The objective of this study is to analyze trends in the MSK Match over its 5-year course. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Data from the National Resident Matching Program were evaluated for the number of applicants, medical school type of matched applicants, number of programs, and number of positions. Programs were grouped according to geographic region, program size, and ACGME accreditation status. These data were plotted to look for trends over time and by program characteristics. RESULTS: There has been little variation in the number of eligible programs registering for the Match (range 80-83). The number of available positions has had a wider variation (range 204-218), and the number of applicants preferring MSK has varied from 156 to 178. The gap between positions and applicants has resulted in a percentage of positions filled that has ranged from 70.9% to 82.4%. Program size is positively correlated with Match rates, with 100% of programs with five or more positions filling ≥ 50% in 4 out of 5 years. CONCLUSION: The variable numbers of fellowship positions and applicants have resulted in variable success of the Match by all metrics. Maintaining or increasing the number of applicants is the most critical factor for ongoing Match success.

Peroneal Sheath Volumes Are Greater in Patients With Peroneal Pathology Compared With Controls.

BACKGROUND: Peroneal tendon pathology is common. Several factors have been implicated, including low-lying muscles and accessory tendons. Studies have reported on the presence and length measurements of these structures. This study evaluates volume measurements within the sheath using magnetic resonance images for patients with operatively treated peroneal tendon pathology and control patients without peroneal disease. METHODS: Fifty-one patients with peroneal tendon pathology and 15 controls were included. The volumes of the peroneal sheath, peroneal tendons, peroneal muscle, and accessory peroneus tendons were measured. The distal extent of the peroneus brevis (PB) muscle was measured. Volume and length measurements were then compared. RESULTS: The mean PB muscle length from the tip of the fibula was 5.55 ± 2.5 mm (peroneal group) and 11.79 ± 4.07 mm (control) (P = .017). The mean peroneal sheath volume was 7.06 versus 5.12 mL, respectively (P = .001). The major contributors to this increased volume was the tenosynovitis (3.58 vs 2.56 mL, respectively; P = .019), the peroneal tendons (2.17 vs 1.7 mL, P = .004), and the accessory peroneus tendon + PB muscle (1.31 vs 0.86 mL, P = .023). CONCLUSION: The current study supports that the PB muscle belly is more distal in patients with peroneal tendon pathology. The study also demonstrates increased total volume within the peroneal sheath among the same patients. We propose that increased volume within the sheath, regardless of what structure is enlarged, is associated with peroneal tendon pathology. Further studies are needed to determine if debridement and decompression of the sheath will result in improved functional outcomes for these patients. LEVELS OF EVIDENCE: Level III: Case control imaging study.

Managing Incidental Findings on Thoracic CT: Lung Findings. A White Paper of the ACR Incidental Findings Committee.

The ACR Incidental Findings Committee presents recommendations for managing incidentally detected lung findings on thoracic CT. The Chest Subcommittee is composed of thoracic radiologists who endorsed and developed the provided guidance. These recommendations represent a combination of current published evidence and expert opinion and were finalized by informal iterative consensus. The recommendations address commonly encountered incidental findings in the lungs and are not intended to be a comprehensive review of all pulmonary incidental findings. The goal is to improve the quality of care by providing guidance on management of incidentally detected thoracic findings.

Managing Incidental Findings on Thoracic CT: Mediastinal and Cardiovascular Findings. A White Paper of the ACR Incidental Findings Committee.

The ACR Incidental Findings Committee presents recommendations for managing incidentally detected mediastinal and cardiovascular findings found on CT. The Chest Subcommittee was composed of thoracic radiologists who developed the provided guidance. These recommendations represent a combination of current published evidence and expert opinion and were finalized by informal iterative consensus. The recommendations address the most commonly encountered mediastinal and cardiovascular incidental findings and are not intended to be a comprehensive review of all incidental findings associated with these compartments. Our goal is to improve the quality of care by providing guidance on how to manage incidentally detected thoracic findings.

No More Waits and Delays: Streamlining Workflow to Decrease Patient Time of Stay for Image-guided Musculoskeletal Procedures.

Long wait times limit our ability to provide the right care at the right time and are commonly products of inefficient workflow. In 2013, the demand for musculoskeletal (MSK) procedures increased beyond our department's ability to provide efficient and timely service. We initiated a quality improvement (QI) project to increase efficiency and decrease patient time of stay. Our project team included three MSK radiologists, one senior resident, one technologist, one administrative assistant/scheduler, and the lead technologist. We adopted and followed the Lean Six Sigma DMAIC (define, measure, analyze, improve, and control) approach. The team used tools such as voice of the customer (VOC), along with affinity and SIPOC (supplier, input, process, output, customer) diagrams, to understand the current process, identify our customers, and develop a project charter in the define stage. During the measure stage, the team collected data, created a detailed process map, and identified wastes with the value stream mapping technique. Within the analyze phase, a fishbone diagram helped the team to identify critical root causes for long wait times. Scatter plots revealed relationships among time variables. Team brainstorming sessions generated improvement ideas, and selected ideas were piloted via plan, do, study, act (PDSA) cycles. The control phase continued to enable the team to monitor progress using box plots and scheduled reviews. Our project successfully decreased patient time of stay. The highly structured and logical Lean Six Sigma approach was easy to follow and provided a clear course of action with positive results. (©)RSNA, 2016.