New imaging technologies can enhance orthopaedic outcomes

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New imaging technologies can enhance orthopaedic outcomes

25 Feb 2005 Medical News Today

New imaging technologies are enabling doctors to not only diagnose a

variety of orthopaedic and musculoskeletal conditions with more

accuracy, but also to determine with unprecedented precision whether

clinical recovery from bone, joint or tendon damage is actually

complete and not simply a " placebo effect. "

Radiologists examining patients with damaged tissue are increasingly

using ultrasound and specialized MRI techniques that allow

examination with great detail - to provide non-invasive diagnostic

tools that replace the need for routine arthroscopic inspection.

" New imaging technology may serve as objective outcome measures for

orthopedic conditions, both at initial diagnosis as well as following

pharmaceutical or surgical intervention, " said Hollis G. Potter, MD,

Chief of Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) at the Hospital for Special

Surgery in New York City.

Dr. Potter's remarks were part of a keynote address, " The Future of

Orthopaedics: Advancements That Will Affect How Care is Provided, "

which she presented on Thursday, Feb. 24 at the annual meeting of

American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) in Washington, D.C.

" Doctors treating patients for orthopaedic problems often witness a

placebo effect. It's not surprising because people want to feel

better, especially when orthopedic problems are hindering their daily

activities, " said Dr. Potter. " With time and after treatment,

patients may feel better, but sometimes the underlying biology for

that patient's problem tells a very different story. "

Dr. Potter said that observable clinical outcomes such as walking and

stair climbing ability are still important measures for patients who

have sustained joint or tendon injury, have severe arthritis or

undergone joint replacement surgery.

She added that imaging technology " should be held to the same degree

of rigor as any clinical outcome instrument, and should be validated

with regards to accuracy and reproducibility. "

" In osteoarthritis, new imaging techniques permit early disease

detection, serve as an objective outcome measure for cartilage repair

procedures and also provide a measure by which to assess disease

modification with pharmaceutical intervention, " Dr. Potter said.

" At the end of the clinical spectrum of osteoarthritis

(arthroplasty), new imaging techniques allow for more sensitive and

earlier detection of particle disease, with non-invasive and more

precise quantification of bone loss, as well as detection of synovial

reaction at the origin of the adverse biologic reaction, " Dr. Potter

said.

The Hospital for Special Surgery offers one of the largest and most

experienced team of musculoskeletal radiologists in the world.