Spine Imaging

The spine should be thought as an “organ,” a unit for consideration when injured after trauma, as well as when affected by different musculoskeletal, neurologic, and systemic diseases. The spine should also be seen as a unit from the perspective of aging, with all the drawbacks and the adaptation changes that occur in older adults. The spine is a frequent site for pathology, with different etiologies and presentations that in some cases have typically distinctive features.

This issue of Seminars in Musculoskeletal Radiology addresses different aspects of the spine, from its most intimate biocomponent, the bone marrow, to a review on the pathology of the spinal cord, the “noble guest,”.

Bone marrow is one of the body's largest organs. Knowledge of its role in several pathophysiologic conditions is increasing and could be the focus of an entire issue of Seminars. In the present issue, one article is dedicated specifically to the study of bone marrow, and several others offer an analysis of its role and behavior in different fields of pathology.

The spine is the hot topic in metabolic diseases, and two articles from a dedicated group of members of the Osteoporosis and Metabolism Subcommittee of the European Society of Musculoskeletal Radiology provide an update on existing concepts and recent novel methods and applications. With aging, degenerative alterations change the biomechanics of the spine, the gait, and the body's general movement. The spine changes in humans through childhood and adolescence, and one article in this issue focuses on the adolescent spine and its particularities of analysis.

Tumors and infections are special topics in the spine, and familiarity with their epidemiology, specific features, distribution, and imaging characteristics increases the radiologist's diagnostic confidence. The sacrum is considered as a soloist, an entity per se, while being part of the pelvis too, which provided a rationale for including a specific article on the topic in this issue.

Those fascinated by mimickers will find the spine is the perfect place to get lost, and a wonderful article addresses these in detail.

Last, but not least, two articles are dedicated to updates on interventional techniques around the spine and to imaging of the most common spinal disorders, respectively.

We hope you enjoy the read!

Publication History

Article published online:
14 September 2022