I speculate that many rheumatologists would desire a textbook of musculoskeletal imaging that provides the essentials of this topic and that there would be little objection if the book was not cluttered with information about trauma and sports-related injuries, since this is not frequently the purview of rheumatology. Of course, this book would have to have high quality, state of the art images accompanying the text and the information would have to be written by expert musculoskeletal radiologists who are capable of communicating this vast subject in a concise, organized fashion. It would also be mandatory that there be an index that is comprehensive and permits the reader to efficiently locate relevant information.
Were such a text to exist, we might anticipate that it would be a large, heavy volume that could be read comfortably only while sitting at a desk with good lighting. But because we are imagining the existence of such a book in the 21st Century, it would be more than reasonable to expect that it should also be made available online to the owner so that it can be readily used for reading, teaching, and reference in virtually any location.
Dr. Manaster and her coauthors have transformed desire into reality and they are to be commended for their achievement. Their book is divided into 12 topic sections (e.g., Arthritis, Systemic Diseases with MSK Involvement, Infection, etc.), all relevant to the practice of rheumatology. The format for each section provides a concise introduction and overview, and each subtopic is then presented in outline format and broken down into Key Facts, Terminology, Imaging, Pathology, Diagnostic Checklist, and Selected (not exhaustive) References. Integrated into this format we also find numerous superb diagrams and images that illustrate the information.
There are, however, a few shortcomings that would enhance this work if they were addressed. The images are not numbered or cited in the text, which would make for more efficient understanding of the material. A variety of measurements are mentioned throughout, but no illustrations are provided to show how these measurements are done. Finally, it would be great if the online electronic version provided hypertext links between the text and images.
Notwithstanding these latter peeves, this book is recommended to rheumatologists, radiologists, and orthopedic surgeons, and would be an equally valuable resource for trainees in these specialties, especially when reviewing for board examinations.