Musculoskeletal radiology: tests and when to use them (curriculum)

This is a basic article for medical students and other non-radiologists

Musculoskeletal radiology tests and when to use them are a group of articles that cover some of the common tests that are used ubiquitously in trauma, orthopedics and rheumatology.

Related Radiopaedia articles

Medical student radiology curriculum

• radiology for students
• neuroradiology
  • imaging
    • CT head
    • MRI brain
    • US carotids
  • key findings
    • midline shift
    • mass effect
    • hydrocephalus
    • brain mass lesion
    • cerebral edema
    • intracranial hemorrhage
    • extra-axial collection
  • conditions
    • extradural hemorrhage
    • subdural hemorrhage
    • subarachnoid hemorrhage
    • stroke
    • intracranial tumors
    • cerebral abscess
    • multiple sclerosis
    • skull fractures
    • spinal cord compression
  • presentations
    • head injury
    • focal weakness
    • severe headache
    • seizures
    • altered consciousness
    • cauda equina syndrome
• cardiac radiology
• chest radiology
  • imaging
    • chest x-ray
      • chest x-ray - an approach
        • initial review
        • lines and tubes
          • ET tube position
          • NG tube position
          • PICC position
          • CVC position
        • the ABCDE approach
          • A (airway)
          • B (breathing)
          • C (circulation)
          • D (disability)
          • E (everything else)
    • CT chest
  • key findings
    • air-space opacification
    • atelectasis
    • air bronchogram
    • pneumothorax
    • pleural fluid
    • increased cardiothoracic ratio
    • pneumomediastinum
    • surgical emphysema
  • conditions
    • pneumonia
    • lobar collapse
    • pulmonary edema
    • heart failure
    • symptomatic pneumothorax
    • tension pneumothorax
    • pleural effusion
    • COPD
    • asthma
    • pulmonary embolism
    • lung cancer
    • mesothelioma
    • bronchiectasis (and CF)
    • tuberculosis
  • presentations
    • breathlessness
    • cough
    • hemoptysis
    • wheeze
    • pleuritic chest pain
• abdominal radiology
  • imaging
    • erect CXR
    • AXR
      • AXR approach
      • AXR approach ABDO X
        • air
        • bowel
        • densities
        • organs and soft tissues
        • external objects and artefacts
    • US abdomen
    • CT abdomen
  • key findings
    • pneumoperitoneum
    • bowel dilatation
    • fat-stranding
    • free intraperitoneal fluid
  • conditions
    • upper GI
      • esophageal cancer
      • gastro-esophageal reflux disease (GERD)
      • peptic ulcer disease
      • gastric cancer
      • bowel perforation
      • small bowel obstruction
      • intestinal ischemia
    • lower GI
      • ​​appendicitis
      • inflammatory bowel disease
      • large bowel obstruction
      • colorectal cancer
      • diverticulitis
      • anorectal disease
    • hepatopancreatobiliary
      • acute pancreatitis
      • gallstone disease
      • ​​acute cholecystitis
      • obstructive jaundice
      • malignant biliary tract obstruction
    • genitourinary
      • renal tract calculi
      • prostate cancer
    • vascular
      • aortic aneurysm
      • peripheral arterial disease
    • breast
      • breast cancer
  • presentations
    • abdominal pain
    • nausea and vomiting
    • jaundice
    • PR bleeding
    • limb ischemia
• musculoskeletal radiology
  • imaging
    • tests and when to use them
      • upper limb
        • clavicle series
        • shoulder series
        • humerus series
        • elbow series
        • forearm series
        • wrist series
        • scaphoid series
        • hand series
        • both hands series
        • thumb series
      • lower limb
        • pelvis x-ray
        • hip x-ray
        • femur x-ray
        • knee x-ray
        • tib/fib x-ray
        • ankle x-ray
        • foot x-ray
        • calcaneus x-ray
  • key findings
    • fracture description
      • fracture type
      • fracture location
      • fracture displacement
      • fracture complications
  • interpretation
    • approach to trauma films
      • shoulder x-ray - an approach
      • elbow x-ray - an approach
      • wrist x-ray - an approach
  • conditions
    • upper limb
      • clavicle fracture
      • shoulder dislocation
      • proximal humeral fracture
      • humeral shaft fracture
      • proximal radial fracture
      • forearm fracture
      • distal radial fracture
      • scaphoid fracture
    • lower limb
      • pelvic fractures
      • proximal femoral fractures
      • distal fibula fracture
      • 5th metatarsal fracture
    • pediatrics
      • supracondylar fracture
      • slipped upper femoral epiphysis
      • Perthes disease
    • spine
    • major trauma
    • joint pain/arthritis
      • osteoarthritis
      • rheumatoid arthritis
      • gout
      • septic arthritis
  • presentations
    • upper limb
      • shoulder injury
      • fall onto an outstretched hand
    • lower limb
      • hip trauma
      • lower limb injury
      • foot and ankle injury
    • joint pain/arthritis
      • the limping child
      • ​​acute monoarthritis
      • polyarthritis
• obstetrics and gynecology imaging
  • imaging
    • pelvic US - transabdominal
    • pelvic US - transvaginal
    • hysterosalpingogram
    • CT abdomen
    • MRI pelvis
  • key findings
    • endometrial thickening
    • ovarian cysts
  • conditions
    • non-obstetric
      • pelvic inflammatory disease
      • tubo-ovarian abscess
      • ovarian torsion
      • ovarian neoplasms
      • endometriosis
      • endometrial hyperplasia
      • endometrial carcinoma
      • cervical cancer
    • obstetric
      • normal pregnancy
      • abnormal first trimester
      • ectopic pregnancy
      • heterotopic pregnancy
      • twins
  • presentations
    • PV bleeding
    • pelvic pain
    • PV discharge
    • early pregnancy
• pediatric radiology
  • imaging
  • key findings
  • conditions
  • presentations