British Journal of Radiology (2005) 78, 473
© 2005 British Institute of Radiology
doi:
MR imaging of the spine and spinal cord. By D Uhlenbrook (Eds). pp. ix + 518, 2004 (Georg Thieme Verlag, Stuttgart, Germany), 
149.00 ISBN 3-13-130941-5
F Gardner
This book intended for radiologists, neuroradiologists, trauma surgeons, orthopaedic surgeons and neurosurgeons is a translation from a German text first published in 2001 and revised in 2003. In general, this has been an excellent translation, but it is formal and occasionally uses unfamiliar phraseology, e.g. Bechterew's disease (ankylosing spondylitis).
There are nine chapters, each well referenced and relatively well indexed. There are 1305 illustrations which are generally of a high standard. All pathologies have been well demonstrated but more annotation might be welcomed from the clinical groups who would use this text. It has also been assumed that the reader is familiar with normal MR appearances.
There are 518 pages covering the outlined topics with the following clinical waiting; Embryology and Malformation (20%), Degenerative Disorders of the Spine (20%), Tumours (20%), Inflammatory Disorders (15%), Physics, Spinal Surgery, Acute Spinal Trauma, Vascular Disorders and Open MR Systems (25%)
The limited physics introduction was welcomed and I found the brief overview on artefacts helpful. The summary at the end of each chapter was useful but on one occasion, there was disparity between the detail in the main text and summary, e.g. location of spinal meningioma. 30 pages were allocated to discussing ageing disc, end plate changes and radial tears, which was probably excessive but comprehensive. At least one image of a sagittal lumbar spines was wrongly labelled as T1 instead of T2.
In conclusion, this was an excellent overview of MR imaging of the spine and spinal cord, with extensive imaging examples of all pathologies. It is relatively easy to read, is reasonably priced and will be a welcome addition to any library.
