title: The current state of imaging the articular cartilage of the upper extremity.
abstract: MR imaging has increasingly been used to image joints since its inception. Historically, there has been more emphasis on the evaluation of internal derangement rather than cartilaginous disease. This article reviews cartilaginous diseases of the upper extremity emphasizing those that can be assessed using current clinical MR imaging protocols and addresses the limitations of current imaging techniques in evaluating the articular cartilage of smaller joints. It also provides a brief overview of novel techniques that may be instituted in the future to improve the diagnostic performance of MR imaging in the evaluation of the articular cartilage of the upper extremity.
authors.affiliation: Musculoskeletal Radiology, Department of Radiology, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Wisconsin Hospital and Clinics, F2/422, 600 Highland Avenue, Madison, WI 53792, USA. hrosas@uwhealth.org
authors.forename: Humberto G
authors.initials: HG
authors.lastname: Rosas
authors.forename: Michael J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Tuite
mesh_terms: D002357:Cartilage Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis*; D002358:Cartilage, Articular / Q000293:injuries* / Q000473:pathology*; D003287:Contrast Media; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D034941:Upper Extremity
chemical_list: D003287:Contrast Media