Spiral CT of the Musculoskeletal System

Although the role of computed tomography (CT) as a primary study for the evaluation of musculoskeletal pathology diminished with the advent of clinical magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), the recent developments in spiral CT has again increased the interest in these applications [1–4]. This is in great part related to the capabilities of spiral CT to rapidly scan patients with optimization of the delivery of contrast and data acquisition and to create volume data sets which can be used for highly detailed three-dimensional (3D) reconstructions. The impact of 3D imaging is felt especially in orthopedic applications, where clinical decision making is complex and treatment options vary.