Role of PET/MRI in musculoskeletal diseases

Objectives: To describe the potential advantages of utilizing PET/MRI in musculoskeletal diseases. We also aimed to describe the shortcomings and challenges related to this imaging technique with the current available tools.

Methods: Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has become a hallmark for imaging of musculoskeletal (MSK) diseases because of its ability to excellently depict soft tissues and bone. However, this imaging technique alone may not be the best tool to provide information about the ongoing process of inflammation or degeneration. Moreover, despite all the advancements, functional imaging of bone with MRI has remained a challenge.

Results: The addition of an imaging modality with the ability to provide information at the molecular level can maximize the utility of MRI in MSK diseases. PET has the ability to identify the inflammation and infection early in the disease due to the increased glucose utilization in the cells in such conditions. Furthermore, PET offers an unparalleled capability to quantify the extent of the disease at a molecular level. Therefore, the integrated PET/MRI can be a highly useful tool to assess MSK disorders. However, a standard method of PET quantification has not been established for the assessment of MSK diseases. A novel method of quantification measuring the total disease activity as determined by PET/CT has previously been used in MSK diseases. This method of quantification can be applied for the assessment of such diseases using PET/MRI and further enhance the utility of PET/MRI in this domain.

Conclusions: This educational exhibit will highlight the role of utilizing PET/MRI in the assessment of musculoskeletal diseases. We will discuss the advantages and limitations of this modality in such conditions.