Skeletal RadiologyPub Date : 2025-11-01Epub Date: 2025-02-07DOI: 10.1007/s00256-025-04883-9
Janeth Yinh, Mohamed Jarraya, Ali Guermazi
{"title":"Ultrasonography in the assessment of calcium pyrophosphate deposition disease.","authors":"Janeth Yinh, Mohamed Jarraya, Ali Guermazi","doi":"10.1007/s00256-025-04883-9","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s00256-025-04883-9","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Calcium pyrophosphate deposition (CPPD) disease is an arthropathy with increasing prevalence in the aging population that is associated with significant musculoskeletal morbidity. Although synovial fluid analysis (SFA) has been considered the gold standard for diagnosis, imaging is gaining an increasing role in the diagnosis and assessment of CPPD disease. Ultrasound (US) has proven to be useful in identifying calcium crystals while simultaneously assessing the surrounding inflammatory and structural damage consequent to calcific tissue deposition. Point-of-care ultrasound has the additional benefit of focusing the US evaluation to targeted symptomatic structures at the bedside, as well as allowing the sonographer to additionally scan joints frequently affected in CPPD disease to enhance the diagnostic utility of US. Furthermore, diagnostic and therapeutic procedures under US guidance can increase the yield of a diagnostic aspiration in CPPD disease and provide a therapeutic role in facilitating accurate delivery of medication in difficult to reach structures. Understanding the utility and limitations of US is essential to optimize the benefits of this imaging modality in the evaluation of CPPD disease.</p>","PeriodicalId":21783,"journal":{"name":"Skeletal Radiology","volume":" ","pages":"2291-2303"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2025-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143365887","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Skeletal RadiologyPub Date : 2025-11-01Epub Date: 2025-08-02DOI: 10.1007/s00256-025-05000-6
Andrew Barakat, Rahul Gujrathi, Ali Guermazi, Andrew Kompel
{"title":"Imaging and image-guided intervention of septic arthritis in adults and children.","authors":"Andrew Barakat, Rahul Gujrathi, Ali Guermazi, Andrew Kompel","doi":"10.1007/s00256-025-05000-6","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s00256-025-05000-6","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Septic arthritis is a critical condition to diagnose as delayed treatment can lead to increased morbidity and mortality. Diagnosis requires a combination of patient history, clinical findings, laboratory results, and supportive imaging findings with potential arthrocentesis. This review summarizes these clinical and laboratory findings as they can be helpful in the interpretation of imaging studies. Typically, a multimodality imaging approach is used to further aid in diagnosis, assess disease extent or complications, and guide aspiration, emphasizing the important role of the musculoskeletal radiologist. Specific imaging modalities and those findings associated with septic arthritis are detailed. Radiographs are readily available and inexpensive but have low sensitivity in early disease. Ultrasound can detect effusions and is the modality of choice to guide most joint aspirations owing to its real-time capabilities and lack of radiation. Computed tomography (CT) plays a major role in the emergency setting due to its wide availability and short scan times, with the ability to evaluate other soft tissue compartments. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) remains the most sensitive imaging modality for bone and soft tissue changes as early as the first 24 h. Ultimately, fluid aspiration is the gold standard to diagnose and guide antimicrobial therapy.</p>","PeriodicalId":21783,"journal":{"name":"Skeletal Radiology","volume":" ","pages":"2489-2501"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2025-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144769011","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Skeletal RadiologyPub Date : 2025-11-01Epub Date: 2025-08-05DOI: 10.1007/s00256-025-05004-2
Mikkel Østergaard, Magalie Alice Janine Rolland, Lene Terslev
{"title":"Imaging in clinical trials of rheumatoid arthritis: where are we in 2025?","authors":"Mikkel Østergaard, Magalie Alice Janine Rolland, Lene Terslev","doi":"10.1007/s00256-025-05004-2","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s00256-025-05004-2","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Accurate detection and assessment of inflammatory activity is crucial not only for diagnosing patients with rheumatoid arthritis but also for effective monitoring of treatment effect. Ultrasound and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) have both been shown to be truthful, reproducible, and sensitive to change for inflammation in joints and tendon sheaths and have validated scoring systems, which altogether allow them to be used as outcome measurement instruments in clinical trials. Furthermore, MRI also allows sensitive and discriminative assessment of structural damage progression in RA, also with validated outcome measures. Other relevant imaging techniques, including the use of artificial intelligence, pose interesting possibilities for future clinical trials and will be briefly addressed in this review article.</p>","PeriodicalId":21783,"journal":{"name":"Skeletal Radiology","volume":" ","pages":"2541-2555"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2025-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144785198","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Skeletal RadiologyPub Date : 2025-11-01Epub Date: 2025-04-16DOI: 10.1007/s00256-025-04931-4
Torsten Diekhoff, Sevtap Tugce Ulas
{"title":"Current and future role of CT and advanced CT applications in inflammatory arthritis in the clinic and trials.","authors":"Torsten Diekhoff, Sevtap Tugce Ulas","doi":"10.1007/s00256-025-04931-4","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s00256-025-04931-4","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Computed tomography (CT) has traditionally been underutilized in the imaging of inflammatory arthritis due to its limitations in assessing soft tissue inflammation and concerns over radiation exposure. However, recent technological advancements have positioned CT as a more viable imaging modality for arthritis, offering high specificity and sensitivity in detecting structural bone changes. However, advances in ultra-low-dose CT protocols and AI-driven image reconstruction have significantly reduced radiation exposure while maintaining diagnostic quality. Dynamic CT and spectral CT techniques, including dual-energy CT (DECT), have broadened CT's application in assessing dynamic joint instabilities and visualizing inflammatory changes through material-specific imaging. Techniques such as CT subtraction imaging and iodine mapping have enhanced the detection of active soft-tissue inflammation, virtual non-calcium reconstructions, and the detection of bone marrow edema. Possible CT applications span various forms of arthritis, including gout, calcium pyrophosphate deposition disease (CPPD), psoriatic arthritis, and axial spondyloarthritis. Beyond its diagnostic capabilities, CT's ability to provide detailed structural assessment positions is a valuable tool for monitoring disease progression and therapeutic response, particularly in clinical trials. While MRI remains superior for soft tissue evaluation, CT's specificity for bone-related changes and its potential for integration into routine arthritis management warrant further exploration and research. This review explores the current and emerging roles of CT in arthritis diagnostics, with a focus on novel applications and future potential.</p>","PeriodicalId":21783,"journal":{"name":"Skeletal Radiology","volume":" ","pages":"2385-2397"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2025-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12460486/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144007525","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Skeletal RadiologyPub Date : 2025-11-01Epub Date: 2025-03-27DOI: 10.1007/s00256-025-04921-6
Kelly Di Dier, Frederiek Laloo, Thomas Van Den Berghe, Elke Vereecke, Jacob Jaremko, Min Chen, Lennart Jans
{"title":"Spondyloarthritis endgame: MRI versus BoneMRI in sacroiliitis.","authors":"Kelly Di Dier, Frederiek Laloo, Thomas Van Den Berghe, Elke Vereecke, Jacob Jaremko, Min Chen, Lennart Jans","doi":"10.1007/s00256-025-04921-6","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s00256-025-04921-6","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The Assessment in SpondyloArthritis International Society (ASAS) classification criteria characterize sacroiliitis by active inflammation and structural lesions. Detection of lesions such as bone marrow edema, joint surface erosions and ankylosis is important, because progressing treatment options benefit from early diagnosis and detailed treatment response monitoring. Recent technological advancements have made various imaging modalities available to assess these findings, i.e., various sorts of CT (low dose, dual energy, etc.), MRI and BoneMRI. BoneMRI is an advanced technique where CT-like images are reconstructed from a dedicated MRI sequence, opening opportunities to better characterize structural lesions than on a classic MRI study. The scope of this review is to provide an overview of the pros and cons of MRI and BoneMRI in sacroiliitis and demonstrate the inherent added value of BoneMRI towards state-of-the-art routine MRI sequences.</p>","PeriodicalId":21783,"journal":{"name":"Skeletal Radiology","volume":" ","pages":"2351-2355"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2025-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143721374","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Skeletal RadiologyPub Date : 2025-11-01Epub Date: 2025-07-13DOI: 10.1007/s00256-025-04983-6
Karel Mercken, Bjorn Valgaeren, Nathalie Noppe
{"title":"Spinal gout in gouty polyarthropathy.","authors":"Karel Mercken, Bjorn Valgaeren, Nathalie Noppe","doi":"10.1007/s00256-025-04983-6","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s00256-025-04983-6","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Gout is a crystal arthropathy and is the most common inflammatory arthritis in adults. Spinal involvement is observed in 17% of gout patients and may still be under-recognized. MRI is sensitive, but not specific, in identifying spinal gout, mainly due to varying signal characteristics of tophi and mimicking findings with infectious spondylodiscitis. In patients with a history of spinal surgery, distinguishing between spondylodiscitis and spinal gout on MRI becomes even more challenging. Dual-energy computed tomography (DECT) can help differentiate crystal arthropathies from infectious spondylodiscitis and regular degenerative osteoarthritis with high sensitivity and specificity by detecting monosodium urate crystals. This paper reports the case of an 80-year-old patient with lumbar back pain and a history of lumbar spine surgery. MRI revealed alterations suggestive of spondylodiscitis. Surgical biopsy results were negative for infection, but inconclusive for gout. The diagnosis of spinal gout was ultimately established using DECT in the context of polyarthropathy.</p>","PeriodicalId":21783,"journal":{"name":"Skeletal Radiology","volume":" ","pages":"2589-2595"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2025-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144627007","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Skeletal RadiologyPub Date : 2025-11-01Epub Date: 2025-03-26DOI: 10.1007/s00256-025-04922-5
Steel M McDonald, Banafshe Felfeliyan, Ali Hassan, Jessica C Küpper, Rehab El-Hajj, Stephanie Wichuk, Ashmeen Aneja, Cherise Kwok, Cindy X Y Zhang, Lennart Jans, Nele Herregods, Abhilash R Hareendranathan, Jacob L Jaremko
{"title":"Evaluating potential for AI automation of quantitative and semi-quantitative MRI scoring in arthritis, especially at the knee: a systematic literature review.","authors":"Steel M McDonald, Banafshe Felfeliyan, Ali Hassan, Jessica C Küpper, Rehab El-Hajj, Stephanie Wichuk, Ashmeen Aneja, Cherise Kwok, Cindy X Y Zhang, Lennart Jans, Nele Herregods, Abhilash R Hareendranathan, Jacob L Jaremko","doi":"10.1007/s00256-025-04922-5","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s00256-025-04922-5","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objective: </strong>This systematic review explores key quantitative and semi-quantitative MRI-based scoring systems for arthritis biomarkers, focusing on their potential for automation through AI.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A systematic review of Medline, PubMed, and Scopus from 2014 to 2024. Keywords included MRI, arthritis, and quantitative/semi-quantitative. From the initial retrieval of 3321 papers, after exclusions, we evaluated the full-text for 129 studies from the past decade, 74 of which related specifically to knee osteoarthritis.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Publications on MRI arthritis scoring systems peaked in 2021 and have declined in recent years, likely due to a shift toward AI-driven automation. We assessed scoring systems for biomarkers including cartilage thickness, bone marrow edema, effusion/synovitis, erosions, osteophytes, intraosseous and periarticular fat metaplasia, and connective tissue integrity (meniscus/labrum), each varying in suitability for AI. Effusion, due to its high MRI T2 contrast, appears relatively straightforward to automate, while cartilage loss remains difficult to accurately quantify and localize despite heavy research interest. AI demonstrates suitability in meniscal tear detection and the potential to automate other biomarkers like BMEs, bone erosion, and osteophyte formation.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>AI is increasingly being used to automatically evaluate MRI for arthritis. This review identifies opportunities for AI to enhance longitudinal disease tracking and enable early intervention in arthritis by providing detailed scoring of inflammatory lesions and high-resolution evaluation of structural abnormalities.</p>","PeriodicalId":21783,"journal":{"name":"Skeletal Radiology","volume":" ","pages":"2339-2349"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2025-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143721373","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Skeletal RadiologyPub Date : 2025-11-01Epub Date: 2025-05-10DOI: 10.1007/s00256-025-04935-0
Iris Eshed, Kay Geert A Hermann
{"title":"Imaging in clinical trials of axial spondyloarthritis: what type of imaging should be used.","authors":"Iris Eshed, Kay Geert A Hermann","doi":"10.1007/s00256-025-04935-0","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s00256-025-04935-0","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA) is a chronic inflammatory condition predominantly affecting the sacroiliac joints and spine. Early and accurate diagnosis is crucial to prevent structural damage and improve patient outcomes. Imaging plays a pivotal role in axSpA diagnosis, monitoring, and clinical trials, offering insights into both inflammatory activity and structural progression. Conventional radiography has been foundational for detecting structural changes, such as syndesmophytes and erosions, but it is limited by poor sensitivity for early disease detection and significant interobserver variability. Advanced imaging modalities, such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and low-dose computed tomography (ld-CT), have emerged as more sensitive tools. MRI excels in identifying active inflammation, particularly bone marrow edema, and is integral to early diagnosis and disease monitoring. ld-CT provides superior spatial resolution for detecting structural lesions while minimizing radiation exposure. However, challenges remain in achieving standardized imaging protocols and consistent scoring systems across clinical trials. Scoring systems like the modified Stoke Ankylosing Spondylitis Spine Score (mSASSS), Spondyloarthritis Research Consortium of Canada (SPARCC) scores, and Berlin methods require rigorous calibration to ensure reliability. The purpose of this review is to explore the strengths and limitations as well as the use in clinical trials of the different imaging modalities and to offer guidance on selecting the most suitable imaging techniques for assessing both disease activity and structural progression in clinical trials.</p>","PeriodicalId":21783,"journal":{"name":"Skeletal Radiology","volume":" ","pages":"2399-2409"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2025-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12460507/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144016983","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Skeletal RadiologyPub Date : 2025-11-01Epub Date: 2025-06-10DOI: 10.1007/s00256-025-04966-7
Mikael Boesen, Aleksandr Iakimov, Delaram Shakoor, John A Carrino, Olga Kubassova
{"title":"Use of DCE-MRI in arthritis in the appendicular skeleton: a narrative review.","authors":"Mikael Boesen, Aleksandr Iakimov, Delaram Shakoor, John A Carrino, Olga Kubassova","doi":"10.1007/s00256-025-04966-7","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s00256-025-04966-7","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Arthritis of the appendicular skeleton encompasses various inflammatory and degenerative joint diseases, where active inflammation in the soft tissues and bones significantly affects patients' quality of life and prognosis. Therefore, effective arthritis management depends on early diagnosis and treatment initiation, which rely on sensitive methods for detecting and monitoring inflammatory activity. Conventional MRI techniques, such as fluid-sensitive MRI using static 2D or 3D fat-saturated T2-weighted, proton density-weighted, STIR, and particularly T1-weighted images after intravenous Gadolinium contrast injection, have been widely used as reference standards for detecting inflammation and monitoring the response to treatment in clinical trials and clinical practice. However, several studies have indicated that these static imaging sequences may have problems capturing the degree of inflammation, detecting early treatment responses and associating the imaging scores with clinical findings. As a result, T1-weighted dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI (DCE-MRI), which captures and maps vascularity and tissue perfusion, has been increasingly used as a more sensitive surrogate measure for detecting and monitoring the inflammatory treatment response in arthritis. This review outlines the rationale for utilising DCE-MRI in arthritis imaging. It will discuss the advantages and limitations of current acquisition and analysis methods and highlight which DCE-MRI-derived parameters correlate with clinical findings, histological results and responses to inflammatory treatments in common forms of appendicular arthritis.</p>","PeriodicalId":21783,"journal":{"name":"Skeletal Radiology","volume":" ","pages":"2457-2479"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2025-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144267222","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Review of the updated definitions and concepts of spinal lesions in axial spondyloarthritis.","authors":"Ângela Massignan, Mariana Mendes Knabben, Tauã Brum da Silva, Guilherme Hohgraefe Neto","doi":"10.1007/s00256-024-04812-2","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s00256-024-04812-2","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Spinal imaging may support the diagnosis of axial spondyloarthritis when typical findings are recognized in an appropriate clinical context and it can also indicate disease activity. In May 2022, the definitions for inflammatory and structural spinal lesions in axial spondyloarthritis were updated and validated by the Assessment of SpondyloArthritis international Society (ASAS) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) working group. The aims of this paper are to demonstrate and describe imaging findings of the spine in patients with axial SpA, including the latest updated definitions by the ASAS, and to show complications in patients with long-standing disease.</p>","PeriodicalId":21783,"journal":{"name":"Skeletal Radiology","volume":" ","pages":"2227-2241"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2025-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142393087","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}