Imaging Principles
Core imaging modalities and interpretation strategies in orthopaedic oncology.
Imaging plays a pivotal role in the diagnosis, staging, and surgical planning of bone and soft tissue tumours. The essential modalities include:
Plain Radiographs: First-line; provides information on lesion location, bone destruction, periosteal reaction, matrix mineralisation.
MRI: Gold standard for local staging; defines tumour extent, soft tissue involvement, neurovascular relationships.
CT: Useful for cortical bone evaluation and chest staging for metastases.
Bone Scintigraphy: Assesses multifocal involvement and occult metastasis.
PET/CT: Functional imaging to evaluate metabolic activity and response to therapy.Cross-sectional imaging must be done before biopsy to avoid artefact and guide safe sampling.
