Robert A. Pedowitz, Christine B. Chung, and Donald Resnick, editors. New York: Springer; 2008. 439 pages. $189.00. ISBN: 978-0-387-48897-4.
The incentive for the editors of this textbook was to draw together, in one book, the current and relative information regarding the clinical use of magnetic resonance imaging in the area of sports medicine. Furthermore, they wished to give orthopaedists the opportunity to provide information to radiologists about the clinical conditions that are frequently investigated with use of magnetic resonance imaging and, at the same time, give radiologists the opportunity to provide salient information to orthopaedists about the science behind magnetic resonance imaging as well as the possibilities and indications for the use of magnetic resonance imaging in the management of sports-related clinical conditions. To accomplish this, each chapter is composed of two subchapters, one written by a radiologist and the other written by an orthopaedist. The editors themselves are noted authorities in the field of bone and joint radiology as well as sports medicine, and they recruited an additional thirty-four contributors to author various chapters.
So how did they do? Well, if this book were read from cover to cover, most (but of course not all) of the information needed by orthopaedists and radiologists with regard to magnetic resonance imaging in sports medicine would be found. The book is well illustrated and very well referenced. The big problem, however, is in its organization. There did not appear to be enough consistency of content or format between the two subchapters within each chapter. Some subchapters are comprehensive and beautifully illustrated, and some are rather skimpy. Within the various chapters, the radiologists included discussions of clinical conditions and the orthopaedists included discussions of magnetic resonance imaging, yet not always were the same clinical conditions included in each of the subchapters. Furthermore, critical information relative to one area is sometimes only found by searching in another area. Therefore, this is not a book in which one can immediately find "the answer" to a question. As an orthopaedist, I found the clinical discussions from both disciplines to be most helpful for the medical student and/or generalist. The radiologists' discussions regarding magnetic resonance imaging were often elegant and most enlightening; however, it would have been helpful if the editors had provided for the inclusion of an "executive summary" of the physics of magnetic resonance imaging and a definition of terms for the numerous sequencing techniques.
My "bottom-line" opinion is that, aside from its well-intentioned but annoying format, the book is a must as a reference text for any orthopaedic or radiologic library. For the individual practitioner in particular, it will serve as a valuable educational resource for those willing to take the time to search.