Imaging Evaluation of Nerves

This issue of Seminars in Musculoskeletal Radiology focuses on the imaging evaluation of nerves. The World Health Organization has estimated that 22% of the worldwide primary care patient population have chronic debilitating pain. The reported prevalence rate of neuropathic pain in the United States is close to 10% when using clinical examination as the gold standard.

Living with chronic pain is an emotional as well as a physical burden. Musculoskeletal radiologists play a very important role in the diagnosis and treatment of neuropathic pain and nerve entrapment syndromes. Our readers would wholeheartedly agree with me that there is no better day at the office than the one when we diagnose and successfully treat the reasons that keep our patients from enjoying happy and fulfilling lives.

This compilation of articles begins with “Technical Update on MR Neurography,” by Teodoro Martin-Noguerol, Paula Montesinos, Dario A. Bencardino, Alvand Hassankhani, Rafael Barousse, and Antonio Luna; and “Ultrasonographic Evaluation of Peripheral Nerves: Technical Considerations,” by Antje Greenfield, Mannan Parrikh, and Riti Kanesa-Thasan.

Anatomical considerations and diagnostic features pertinent to the most common neuropathic syndromes can be found in “Entrapment Neuropathies of the Shoulder,” by Erin F. Alaia, Michael S. Day, and Michael J. Alaia; “Imaging of Nerve Disorders in the Elbow,” by Drew Gunio, Ahmad Babaa, and Jenny Bencardino; “Nerve Imaging in the Wrist,” by Steven P. Daniels, Jadie E. De Tolla, Ali Azad, and Catherine N. Petchprapa; “Nerve Entrapments in the Pelvis and Hip,” by Lawrence Lo, Alejandra Duarte, and Jenny Bencardino; and “Imaging of Entrapment Neuropathies in the Ankle,” by Stephanie Y. Jo, Navpreet Khurana, and Nogah Shabshin.

The issue concludes by reviewing “Magnetic Resonance Imaging of Nerve Tumors,” by Barzin Behzad and Saeed Dianat; and “Brachial Plexus Birth Palsy: Practical Concepts for Radiologists,” by Pedro González-Mantilla, Angela Abril Zuñiga, and Maria Alejandra Bedoya.

Publishing this issue would not have been possible without the support of Thieme Medical Publishers. Special gratitude to Joycelyn Reid, Shivika Singh, and Astha Mahajan for making this work possible.

Lastly, heartfelt thanks to Drs. Christine Chung and Christian Glaser, editors in chief, for trusting me as the guest editor of this issue of Seminars.

Publication History

Article published online:
24 May 2022