Educational benefits of fusing magnetic resonance imaging with sonograms.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate whether providing sonographic (US)/MRI fusion images will enhance the ability of medical students and radiology residents to identify MSK anatomy on sonograms alone.


METHODS
Medical students (n = 31) and radiology residents (n = 23) were each randomly divided into two groups: Group A and Group B. Subjects in Group A were shown 10 MSK sonograms with arrows pointing to a specific anatomic structure or anatomic region. Subjects in Group B were shown the exact same 10 annotated sonograms as Group A as well as an additional fusion image consisting of an MRI of the same anatomy in the same plane fused with the sonogram without arrows. Sonograms and MRI were obtained from adult patients who consented to have their images used. The anatomic regions included the shoulder, hip, and pelvis. Both groups were given the same 10-question multiple choice examination to identify the anatomic structure that the arrow was marking on the sonogram. The transducer's location was given for every question. One minute was allowed to answer each question. The Wilcoxon rank sum test was used to assess if there was a difference between Group A and Group B in both the medical student and the radiology resident cohorts.


RESULTS
Medical students: subjects in Group A (n = 16) gave the correct answers in 33.8% of the cases (54/160). Subjects in Group B (n = 15) gave correct answers in 26.0% of the cases (39/150) (p value <0.110). Radiology residents: subjects in Group A (n = 11) gave correct answers in 40.9% of the cases (45/110). Subjects in Group B (n = 12) gave correct answers in 72.5% of the cases (87/120) (p value <0.001).


CONCLUSIONS
The addition of a fusion MRI/US image enhances radiology residents' ability to identify MSK US anatomy accurately compared with the sonogram alone. The medical students, however, did not show improvement with the addition of the fusion MRI/sonogram. 2014.
Department of Radiology, Henry Ford Health System, Detroit, MI, 48202; Department of Radiology, Jackson Memorial Hospital, Miami, FI, 33136.
Andrew
A
Vollman
Rachel
R
Hulen
Scott
S
Dulchavsky
Howard
H
Pinchcofsky
David
D
Amponsah
Gordon
G
Jacobsen
Alexandria
A
Dulchavsky
Marnix
M
van Holsbeeck
D002983:Clinical Competence / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D004521:Educational Measurement / Q000379:methods / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D007396:Internship and Residency / Q000379:methods; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D064847:Multimodal Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D009141:Musculoskeletal System / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D011871:Radiology / Q000193:education*; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D013337:Students, Medical / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D014463:Ultrasonography / Q000379:methods*; D014481:United States
MRI; education; fusion ultrasound; musculoskeletal sonography; sonography