Orthopedic Imaging

Orthopedic Imaging at UMass Memorial Medical Center performs more musculoskeletal imaging exams than almost any other hospital in the state (nearly 100,000 a year). This high volume means that our radiologists have extensive experience in imaging the musculoskeletal system, which includes:

• Bones
• Joints
• Associated soft tissues (tissues that connect, support or surround bones and joints, such as muscles, ligaments, cartilage and tendons)

It’s also important to know that our radiologists are fellowship trained in musculoskeletal imaging. This means they have extra training and specialize in imaging just these parts of the body – assuring you of a higher level of expertise and diagnostic accuracy.

Our musculoskeletal imaging team works closely with UMass Memorial’s orthopedic surgeons, oncologic (cancer) surgeons, rheumatologists, pathologists and other specialists to diagnose and help plan treatment for a range of orthopedic conditions.

The Musculoskeletal Conditions We Help Diagnose

The types of injuries and illnesses our musculoskeletal imaging specialists help diagnose include:

• Trauma
• Bone fractures
• Muscle sprains and strains
• Ligament and tendon injuries
• Sports injuries
• Arthritis/joint pain
• Bone and soft tissue tumors
• Cancer that has metastasized (spread) to the bones

Interventional Procedures Performed by Our Musculoskeletal Radiologists

Our radiologists also perform minimally invasive, image-guided interventional procedures, including:

• Ultrasound-guided lavage and aspiration (flushing out and suctioning) to treat calcific tendinitis (a painful condition when calcium deposits build up in the tendons of the shoulder). In fact, UMass Memorial is the only hospital in Central Massachusetts to offer this minimally invasive procedure.
• CT- and ultrasound-guided bone and soft-tissue biopsies
• Image-guided injections of medication into joints for diagnosis as well as treatment of pain
• Needle aspiration of cysts or infected fluids

The Latest Musculoskeletal Imaging Technology

At UMass Memorial, we offer a full range of the most routine to the most advanced types of imaging technology for orthopedic conditions, including:

• X-rays
• Fluoroscopy (an imaging technique that uses X-rays to obtain real-time moving images of the body’s internal structures)
• CT (computed tomography)
• MRI (magnetic resonance imaging)

Any of these treatments can be used to perform arthrography, which refers to an exam that uses contrast material, such as a dye, to take pictures of a joint.