Imaging of the Diabetic Foot.

Diabetic foot complications are increasingly prevalent in the world, leading to significant morbidity and driving up associated health care costs. Complex pathophysiology and suboptimal specificity of current imaging modalities have made diagnosis challenging, mainly in the evaluation of superimposed foot infection to underlying arthropathy or other marrow lesions. Recent advances in radiology and nuclear medicine have the potential to streamline the assessment of diabetic foot complications. But we must be aware of the specific strengths and weaknesses of each modality, and their applications. This review offers a comprehensive approach to the spectrum of diabetic foot complications and their imaging appearances in conventional and advanced imaging studies, including optimal technical considerations for each technique. Advanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) techniques are highlighted, illustrating their complementary role to conventional MRI, in particular their potential impact in avoiding additional studies.

Bicipital tuberosity bone characteristics in surgical reattachment of the distal biceps: anatomical and radiological study.

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to measure the cortical thickness and bone density of the different parts of the bicipital tuberosity, to evaluate the importance of these variables on resistance to pulling out of distal biceps tendon reinsertion implants. METHODS: Sixteen cadaveric arms were used for this study. A multiple detector computed tomography was performed in each proximal radius. Bone thickness and density of anterior, posterior cortex and anterior trabecular bone were measured in proximal, medial and distal parts of the bicipital tuberosity. Statistical and concordance analyses of results were performed. RESULTS: In our specimens, the medial and distal parts of the anterior cortex and the anterior trabecular bone were thicker, mean 11.3 mm SD 2.72 and 11.17 mm SD 3.05, with a significant difference when compared to the proximal part; mean 10.3 mm SD 2.35, of radial tuberosity. The three posterior segments where all thicker compared to the anterior cortex (proximal 3.15 SD 1.31; medial 3.33 SD 1.5; distal 3.34 SD 1.43 mm), but without statistical differences between them. The measured bone density was equivalent in the three portions of the anterior cortex and trabecular bone [proximal 1924.63 SD 547.22; medial 1848.19 SD 538.59; distal 2100.47 SD 396.32 Hounsfield units (HU)]. The posterior cortex was denser compared to the anterior cortex and the anterior trabecular bone in all the segments (proximal 1962.63 SD 223.57; medial 1907.16 SD 232.08; distal 1987.06 SD 189.12 HU), but without statistical differences between the three parts. CONCLUSIONS: Based on the results of this anatomic study which have demonstrated that anterior cortex and anterior trabecular bone of the medial and distal regions of the bicipital tuberosity are thicker than proximal part, we postulate that these segments could give better pulling out resistance to monocortical implants. Our findings suggest that the strongest parts of the bicipital tuberosity are the proximal and medial parts of the posterior cortex. We can afford them drilling across the radius using a bicortical implant in the proximal and medial section of the radial tuberosity. Furthermore, we suggest that an increased margin of safety could be achieved to prevent injury to the posterior interosseous nerve, drilling the cortical hole in the proximal part of the radial tuberosity without losing resistance properties.

Sacroilíacas: artrosis o artritis / Sacroiliac joints: osteoarthritis or arthritis

Uno de los principales retos en el tratamiento del dolor de la articulación sacroilíaca (AS) es llegar a un adecuado diagnóstico. Las técnicas por imagen han ganado un gran protagonismo en este aspecto. La tomografía computarizada (TC) y la resonancia magnética (RM) presentan igual eficacia en la detección de cambios estructurales en artrosis y artritis, y ambas son muy superiores a la radiografía simple, la cual puede retrasar el diagnóstico. Además, la RM puede mostrar incipientes cambios en el cartílago y actividad inflamatoria aguda en el hueso subcondral y ligamentos en las espondiloartropatías y las infiltraciones subperiósticas y transcapsulares periarticulares características de la artritis séptica, que no pueden detectarse por TC ni en imágenes radiográficas. Las secuencias potenciadas en T1 con supresión de la grasa y STIR en los estudios de RM son más sensibles para demostrar erosiones y cambios inflamatorios, respectivamente. Las imágenes potenciadas en T1 con supresión de la grasa y tras la administración intravenosa de contraste en las artritis sépticas definirán la extensión de los cambios infecciosos y diferenciarán abscesos; en las espondiloartropatías pueden ser útiles, aunque su uso es controvertido. La gammagrafía ósea es sensible en artritis activas de inicio, pero poco específica debido a la actividad normal de esta articulación, aunque con radiofármacos específicos es útil para confirmar una artritis séptica y descartar otros focos infecciosos. Esta compleja articulación de movilidad limitada muestra un amplio espectro de variaciones y cambios degenerativos a lo largo de la vida, y es necesario conocerlas para facilitar la interpretación de las imágenes y realizar un adecuado diagnóstico de enfermedad (AU)

One of the most challenging aspects of treating the sacroiliac joint (SIJ) pain is the complexity of diagnosis. Imaging methods have gained importance for the diagnosis of SIJ diseases. CT and MR exams had equal efficacy superior to radiography in staging structural changes in the SIJ due to osteoarthritis or sacroiliitis. The diagnosis of spondyloarthropaty can be delayed for several years using certain radiography studies. MR imaging reveal early cartilage changes and active inflammatory changes in the subchondral bone and surrounding ligaments in spondyloarthropaties, as well as subperiosteal and transcapsular yuxtaarticular infiltrations characteristic of septic sacroiliitis, which could not be found by either CT of radiography. T1-WI with fat suppression (FS) and STIR images improve the demonstration of erosions and inflammatory changes respectively, on MR studies. Additional T1-FS after i.v. contrast has proven valuable in demonstrating the extension of inflammatory changes and abscesses in septic sacroiliitis, and in spondyloartropaties may be useful although this is debatable. Scintigraphy gives high sensibility only in early inflammatory changes and low specificity for the diagnosis of sacroiliitis due to high bone turnover in the SIJ, although specific radioprobes are useful in confirming the septic etiology and evaluating additional foci. This complex joint of very limited mobility shows a lot of structural variations and some anatomical degenerative changes due to age, which are necessary to know to an adequate image interpretation and diagnosis of disease (AU)

[Sacroiliac joints: osteoarthritis or arthritis]. / Sacroilíacas: artrosis o artritis.

One of the most challenging aspects of treating the sacroiliac joint (SIJ) pain is the complexity of diagnosis. Imaging methods have gained importance for the diagnosis of SIJ diseases. CT and MR exams had equal efficacy superior to radiography in staging structural changes in the SIJ due to osteoarthritis or sacroiliitis. The diagnosis of spondyloarthropaty can be delayed for several years using certain radiography studies. MR imaging reveal early cartilage changes and active inflammatory changes in the subchondral bone and surrounding ligaments in spondyloarthropaties, as well as subperiosteal and transcapsular yuxtaarticular infiltrations characteristic of septic sacroiliitis, which could not be found by either CT of radiography. T1-WI with fat suppression (FS) and STIR images improve the demonstration of erosions and inflammatory changes respectively, on MR studies. Additional T1-FS after i.v. contrast has proven valuable in demonstrating the extension of inflammatory changes and abscesses in septic sacroiliitis, and in spondyloartropaties may be useful although this is debatable. Scintigraphy gives high sensibility only in early inflammatory changes and low specificity for the diagnosis of sacroiliitis due to high bone turnover in the SIJ, although specific radioprobes are useful in confirming the septic etiology and evaluating additional foci. This complex joint of very limited mobility shows a lot of structural variations and some anatomical degenerative changes due to age, which are necessary to know to an adequate image interpretation and diagnosis of disease.