Relationship of Imaging-guided Corticosteroid Injections to COVID-19 Incidence in the Pandemic Recovery Period.

Background Corticosteroids injected for the treatment of musculoskeletal pain are systemically absorbed and can affect the immune response to viral infections. Purpose To determine the incidence of symptomatic COVID-19 disease in individuals receiving image-guided corticosteroid injections for musculoskeletal pain compared with the general population during the pandemic recovery period. Materials and Methods In this prospective cohort multicenter study, adults with a history of musculoskeletal pain who underwent imaging-guided intra-articular and spine corticosteroid injections from April 2020 to February 2021 were consecutively enrolled.

Observer agreement in the choice of lumbar spine injection for pain management.

Background And Purpose: Lumbar spine MRI can help guide the choice of corticosteroid injection in pain management. We investigated whether patient-reported symptom information from a questionnaire could improve agreement in the choice of type, level, and side of injection.

Materials And Methods: In this prospective observational study, 120 patients (median age 64, 70 men) were recruited from patients referred for pain management.

Best Practices: Hip Femoroacetabular Impingement.

Imaging plays a critical role in the assessment of patients with femoroacetabular impingement (FAI). With better understanding of the underlying pathomechanics and advances in joint-preserving surgery, there is an increasing need to define the most appropriate imaging workup. The purpose of this article is to provide guidance on best practices for imaging of patients with FAI in light of recent advances in corrective FAI surgery.

Impact of Patient-Reported Symptom Information on Agreement in the MRI Diagnosis of Presumptive Lumbar Spine Pain Generator.

Lumbar spine MRI is associated with a high prevalence of interpretive errors by radiologists. Treating physicians can obtain symptom information, correlate symptoms with MRI findings, and distinguish presumptive pain generators from incidental abnormalities. The purpose of this study was to capture symptom information using a patient questionnaire, review lumbar spine MRI examinations with and without symptom information, diagnose pain generators, and compare MRI diagnoses with clinical reference diagnoses.

Symptomatic COVID-19 infections in outpatient image-guided corticosteroid injection patients during the lockdown phase.

Background: Musculoskeletal pain is a debilitating problem treated with image-guided corticosteroid injections. During the COVID-19 pandemic, multiple societies issued caution statements because of the unknown effect of corticosteroids on the patient's immune system. The purpose is to determine if image-guided corticosteroid injections administered during the COVID-19 lockdown phase were associated with a higher infection rate compared to the general population.

Hip abductor tears in ischiofemoral impingement.

Purpose: Ischiofemoral impingement (IFI) is associated with abnormalities of the quadratus femoris muscle and narrowing of the ischiofemoral (IF) and quadratus femoris (QF) spaces. The hip abductors play an important role in pelvic stability and abductor tears might play a role in the pathophysiology of IFI. The purpose of our study was to assess the association between hip abductor tears and IFI on MRI.

Value of response to anesthetic injection during hip MR arthrography to differentiate between intra- and extra-articular pathology.

Purpose: To determine the value of anesthetic injection during hip MR arthrography (anesthetic MRA) to differentiate between intra- and extra-articular pathology in patients with hip pain.

Materials And Methods: This retrospective study was IRB-approved and HIPAA-compliant. We included 75 consecutive adult patients (46 women, mean age 38 ± 13 years) who were referred for MRA.

Overuse Injuries of the Elbow.

Repetitive microtrauma in the elbow from chronic overuse occurs in athletes and nonathletes. Although the diagnosis is often made clinically, imaging is helpful to confirm the diagnosis, grade the injury, and guide treatment. MR imaging is particularly helpful in evaluating overuse injuries in the elbow, as tendons, ligaments, and bones/cartilage can be assessed.

Variations of anatomy on MRI of the first extensor compartment of the wrist and association with DeQuervain tenosynovitis.

Objective: To study anatomical variations on MRI of the first extensor compartment of the wrist in DeQuervain tenosynovitis (DQT).

Materials And Methods: A retrospective search for DQT patients yielded 47 subjects (51 ± 15 years, 36 female, 11 male). The age-matched control group (normal first extensor compartment) was 49 ± 15 years (29 female, 18 male).