Diffusion-weighted imaging and the skeletal system: a literature review.

Diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) is a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) sequence that has a well-established role in neuroimaging, and is increasingly being utilised in other clinical contexts, including the assessment of various skeletal disorders. It utilises the variability of Brownian motion of water molecules; the differing patterns of water molecular diffusion in various biological tissues help determine the contrast obtained in DWI. Although early research on the clinical role of DWI focused mainly on the field of neuroimaging, there are now more studies demonstrating the promising role DWI has in the diagnosis and monitoring of various osseous diseases. DWI has been shown to be useful in assessing a patient's skeletal tumour burden, monitoring the post-chemotherapy response of various bony malignancies, detecting hip ischaemia in patients with Legg-Calvé-Perthes disease, as well as determining the quality of repaired articular cartilage. Despite its relative successes, DWI has several limitations, including its limited clinical value in differentiating chondrosarcomas from benign bone lesions, as well as osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures from compression fractures due to malignancy. This literature review aims to provide an overview of the recent developments in the use of DWI in imaging the skeletal system, and to clarify the role of DWI in assessing various osseous diseases.

Dynamic motion analysis of dart throwers motion visualized through computerized tomography and calculation of the axis of rotation.

We used a dynamic three-dimensional (3D) mapping method to model the wrist in dynamic unrestricted dart throwers motion in three men and four women. With the aid of precision landmark identification, a 3D coordinate system was applied to the distal radius and the movement of the carpus was described. Subsequently, with dynamic 3D reconstructions and freedom to position the camera viewpoint anywhere in space, we observed the motion pathways of all carpal bones in dart throwers motion and calculated its axis of rotation. This was calculated to lie in 27° of anteversion from the coronal plane and 44° of varus angulation relative to the transverse plane. This technique is a safe and a feasible carpal imaging method to gain key information for decision making in future hand surgical and rehabilitative practices.

Cardiomyopathy and cardiac computed tomography: what the radiologist needs to know.

Coronary computed tomographic angiography (CCTA) is an established tool for the investigation of shortness of breath and chest pain. Although CCTA is performed to assess vessels that could well be diseased, one must review the study for evidence of cardiomyopathy, which can provoke similar symptoms. Cardiomyopathies can coexist with various causes of chest pain including obstructive coronary artery disease and may, therefore, be identifiable at CCTA. Furthermore, symptoms such as shortness of breath and chest pain that the clinician may suspect are secondary to coronary disease leading to investigation with CCTA, may be secondary to cardiomyopathy. We review several important causes of cardiomyopathy that may be detected by CCTA, which are important for radiologists to identify given the implications for further management and prognosis.