Answers are grounded in this paper and cite their sources.
This review discusses key imaging errors and artifacts in musculoskeletal studies, highlighting strategies to mitigate misinterpretation.
Imaging, an essential diagnostic tool found ubiquitously in modern clinical practice, is particularly useful for evaluating musculoskeletal (MSK) pathology. However, technical errors in imaging and imaging artifacts are pitfalls that frequently diminish image quality and may lead to misinterpretation of radiologic studies by radiologists and clinicians. This review describes the causes and imaging appearances of the more common and important MSK imaging technical errors and artifacts in radiography, ultrasound, computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging, and MSK intervention that may potentially lead to erroneous interpretation. Where applicable, strategies to mitigate the impact of these pitfalls are also discussed.
No takes yet. Share an insight, caveat, or question.
Yan et al. (2025) studied this question.
Synapse has enriched 5 closely related papers on similar clinical questions. Consider them for comparative context: