ABSTRACT
Until the advent of high-resolution ultrasound and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), the mainstay of musculoskeletal (MSK) investigation was plain image radiography. Plain radiography has a role, but the main modalities for MSK imaging are ultrasound and MRI. Plain radiography is the starting point for many MSK conditions including trauma, opaque foreign bodies, arthritides, bone or joint infection and tumours. MRI is considered by many to be the gold standard test for MSK problems due to the excellent soft tissue resolution achievable and ability to image in multiple planes. The management and optimal investigation pathway for MSK disorders will depend on the area of the body that is symptomatic, in that investigation of some joints and superficial lesions may be best by ultrasound, and larger joints or deeper structures by MRI.
