Carpal avascular necrosis: MR imaging

W. R. Reinus, W. F. Conway, W. G. Totty, L. A. Gilula, W. A. Murphy, B. A. Siegel, P. M. Weeks, V. L. Young, P. R. Manske

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

82 Scopus citations

Abstract

The authors evaluated the use of magnetic resonance (MR) imaging in diagnosis of avascular necrosis (AVN) of carpal bones by examining 21 patients with wrist pain and two healthy volunteers. MR images were compared with conventional radiographs in every case and with bone scintigrams in 18 cases. MR imaging was slightly less sensitive than bone scintigraphy in depicting AVN, but in patients who were imaged with long repetition time (TR)/long echo time (TE) sequences in addition to short TR/short TE sequences, MR imaging was found to be more specific. While the authors believe that bone scintigraphy remains the screening test of choice for patients with wrist pain and normal plain radiographs, MR imaging promises to add significant diagnostic information in cases in which bone scans are abnormal.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)689-693
Number of pages5
JournalRadiology
Volume160
Issue number3
DOIs
StatePublished - 1986

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