Yu J. Musculoskeletal Imaging: Case Review Series. 3rd ed. Elsevier; 2016; 584 pp; $69.99
The popular Case Review Series recently added an updated 3rd edition of Musculoskeletal Imaging by Joseph Yu. In this edition, Dr. Yu has expanded and enhanced a veritable trove of musculoskeletal cases, clearly selected for teaching value and clinical relevance, with a nod toward the types of cases one might expect on the CORE exam. At 570 pages and 200 cases, the book maintains the familiar organization of 40 “Opening Round,” 135 “Fair Game,” and 25 “Challenge” cases. All cases cross-reference Musculoskeletal Imaging: the Requisites, 4th ed1, as well as recent publications from primary sources for additional reading.
Having myself relied on the 2nd edition for my studies and boards preparation as a resident, I was interested in seeing how the new boards format would impact content and presentation style of the cases. For one, open-ended questions of the type that had often been employed in the now bygone oral exams have been eliminated. A brief question stem with clinical information (e.g., patient gender, age, and chief complaint) now precedes a multiple-choice format review. But other than that minor change, the basic format of these cases and the particular themes and topics covered remain as in prior editions.
This constancy should not be taken to mean that the material is simply a recycled volume of old teaching cases. As touted by Dr. Yu in his preface, nearly all of the case images are new. The quality of these images and the clarity of the pathology depicted is outstanding. The answers also are now accompanied by annotated images with figure legends, which can be tremendously helpful for more junior residents in quickly determining the exact location and nature of the abnormality. And perhaps most importantly, a “Supplemental Figures” section now provides images that illustrate additional manifestations of the given disease, often in different modalities, or of other entities in the differential diagnosis. This new section is particularly helpful in considering the reality that clinical problem-solving in diagnostic radiology, and musculoskeletal radiology in particular, relies heavily on correlating findings across modalities.
Cases from the clinically uncommon but favorite boards fodder “Aunt Minnies” like osteopoikilosis to the exceedingly common distal radius and femoral neck fractures. If the book has any weaknesses, one might be its lack of tables that could aid in summarizing a few of the key classification schemes laid out in the discussion or relevant to the diagnosis (e.g., Judet and Letournel classification of pelvic fractures, SLAP types, pathologic fracture risk stratification, etc.). Another weakness is that issues related to image-guided interventions (e.g., bone or soft tissue biopsies, arthrograms, tendon sheath injections, etc.) are rarely discussed, as the book is focused primarily on diagnostic considerations. Finally, emerging concepts and new treatment paradigms are sometimes omitted for the sake of brevity (e.g., bipolar bone loss using on-track/off-track concept in shoulder instability, denosumab treatment for giant cell tumor of bone). But these minor shortcomings just underscore that the book is meant as a study aid or quick reference, and not a primary resource. Given the breadth of abnormalities commonly encountered in musculoskeletal imaging, Dr. Yu deserves to be commended for managing to select cases from a wide variety of disease categories (e.g., neoplastic, traumatic, developmental, metabolic, etc.) and in a number of locations throughout the body under the purview of musculoskeletal radiologists.
More advanced musculoskeletal practitioners will find it an enjoyable, relatively quick read through familiar territory that will nonetheless highlight the kinds of cases, questions, and topical information that senior radiology residents are expected to master. For those radiologists in general practice who read MSK part-time, some of the “Fair Game” and “Challenge” cases should provide a nice refresher. But really, this book is geared toward residents who either seek to survey the scope of the specialty or who are preparing for their written boards. In either of these scenarios, I feel this volume is indispensable in gaining a foothold in musculoskeletal imaging.
In summary, Dr. Yu has succeeded in updating his already popular title in the Case Review Series. The best enhancements are the annotated figures included in the case explanations and the supplemental images now appended for each case at the end of the book. This book will surely serve future classes of trainees well as they prepare for the CORE exam.
References
1. Manaster BJ, May D, Disler D. Musculoskeletal Imaging: The Requisites. 4th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Saunders; 2013.
