British Journal of Radiology (2003) 76, 579
© 2003 British Institute of Radiology
doi:
Essentials of musculoskeletal imaging. By GY El-Khoury, pp. xvii+730, 2003 (Elsevier Science (USA), Philadelphia, PA), £69.99 ISBN 0-443-06575-6
A Forrester
This book is principally aimed at radiology trainees, but also practising radiologists and orthopaedic surgeons. In the preface the main author states that he intended the book to be "comprehensive yet concise".
The book starts with major sections on neoplasms, rheumatic diseases, metabolic bone disease and spinal disorders. There are sections on MRI, ultrasound imaging and interventional techniques. There are two final small sections on miscellaneous conditions and imaging of total hip replacement.
The list of authors in extensive, many authors are very well known in their fields. Most authors are from the USA or Canada but a small number represent the remainder of the globe.
Chapters are relatively short and snappy and clearly divided into subsections. I particularly enjoyed the sections on neoplasia, rheumatology and spinal diseases. References are not linked in the text, but there are good recommended reading lists. There are extensive illustrations but the reproduction of some is variable and I found this to be the book's main flaw.
Overall the book was very easy to dip into and conveys a lot of information in a concise but interesting format. It is excellent value for the price. I think it would be a valuable addition to departmental libraries or even trainees own bookshelves.
