British Journal of Radiology (2003) 76, 144
© 2003 British Institute of Radiology
doi:
Diagnosis of Bone and Joint Disorders (4th edn) 5 Volume Set. Edited by D Resnick, pp. xx+4944, 2002 (WB Saunders Co. Ltd, Philadelphia, PA), £590 ISBN 0721689213
R Kerslake
Since the first edition was published in 1981, Diagnosis of Bone and Joint Disorders has, rightly, been acknowledged as the foremost reference book of its type. The combination of erudite text, excellent images, comprehensive references and a superb index has proved unbeatable. Only rarely has my search for musculoskeletal radiological information drawn a blank from amongst the pages of the previous editions, the last of which was published just 7 years ago.
It has been a pleasurable, but daunting task to review this new edition which is roughly the same overall size, at 5760 pages, as its predecessor but is in five substantial volumes rather than six. Access to specific material is now aided by helpful details such as inclusion of the main chapter headings on the front cover of each volume and the page numbers for each volume at the bottom of each index page. The index, always a strong point in previous editions, now appears only in full at the end of the fifth volume; an abbreviated but still more than adequate index is present in each of the other four volumes.
The overall layout of the book is very similar to previous editions but a number of chapters have been combined (and some eliminated completely) whilst others have been added. Most readers will not argue with the loss of chapters on xeroradiography or conventional tomography and will welcome new (and excellent) chapters on digital imaging, cartilage, muscle disorders and spinal intervention amongst others. However, the decision to remove the chapter on sports related injuries without replacement of much of its content elsewhere in the book seems surprising given the interest and growth in this field. Musculoskeletal ultrasound is still relatively under-represented and is largely confined to a separate chapter rather than being incorporated alongside other techniques in relevant chapters. The enlarged chapter on internal derangement of joints is good, but lacks the comprehensive cross-sectional atlases found in more specialized texts so recourse to supplementary reading may sometimes be required. Specific anatomical details are, however, covered very well throughout with both illustrations and images.
Most chapters have been updated and improved with new images (more than 2000 in total) and additional references to the published literature, but there is still plenty of material that will be familiar to previous users. A small number of chapters have been completely re-written, in some cases by new authors whilst in a minority, there has been little appreciable change. The vast majority of images are of commendably high quality and excellent radiological–pathological correlative material has been retained; there are just a few rather poor images, especially in the new chapter on spinal imaging.
Overall, the balance of this new edition is very good. Dr Resnick has maintained excellent editorial control and any criticisms are minor indeed. There is no true rival to such an encyclopaedic text and it deserves to find a place in every radiology department. Is the new edition worth purchasing? Well, probably yes, not only because an earlier edition is likely to have been worn out by constant use, but also because there is a significant amount of new and very useful material in the new one.
