Thomas H. Berquist, editor. Philadelphia: Lippincott
Williams and Wilkins; 2001. 1100 pages. $199.00.
Although the subject and titles are similar, this text and Musculoskeletal
MRI differ in almost every other respect. Dr. Berquist has enlisted
an amply capable group of highly regarded, accomplished, and talented
authors, most of whom are affiliated with the Mayo Clinic. The introductory
chapter, entitled "Basic Principles and Terminology of
Magnetic Resonance Imaging," written by three radiologic
physicists from the Mayo Clinic faculty, conveys the in-depth
approach of the text. This is no "Musculoskeletal
MRI for Dummies." This text includes both broad
concepts and fine details and is an encyclopedic reference work
that will grace the personal or departmental library shelf.
Between the covers of this nearly 7-lb (3.2-kg) text, one finds
not only an atlas of normal joint anatomy in three orthogonal planes,
complemented by freehand illustrations, but also coverage
of a wide range of pathological conditions that are illustrated
with a vast array of correlative radiographs, angiographs, computed
tomographic scans, nuclear scintigraphs, and ultrasonographs. Particular
strengths are the chapter on foot, ankle, and calf and the chapter
on the hand and wrist.
In the four years since the third edition of this text was published,
there has been continuous rapid evolution in the field of magnetic
resonance imaging. Advances have been realized with respect to hardware
and software technology as well as with respect to new applications.
These developments have inspired this more current, updated version
of the text.