This book grew from the commonsense notion that orthopedic surgeons and sports medicine clinicians need to und- stand the practical application and interpretation of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for the sake of their clinical pr- tices, while radiologists need broad clinical perspective in order to provide the best and most accurate MRI information upon which patient care decisions must be made. As obvious as that notion might be, relatively little emphasis was placed upon genuine, interdisciplinary MRI education for practicing doctors, especially at the early advent of MRI technology. This need is now much better recognized, evidenced by the growth of excellent lecture-based educational opportunities. Examples include interdisciplinary instructional courses taught by both radiologists and orthopedic surgeons at the Radiological Society of North America and the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons over the last half decade. What has been missing from the educational landscape has been a focused, practical reference that would integrate the basic needs of radiologists and clinicians alike. This was the impetus for the current book, which has been an extra- dinary cooperative venture by authors who were asked to bridge that gap in a single resource: orthopedic surgeons and sports medicine specialists writing for the sake of their radiology colleagues, and radiologists writing for the benefit of their clinician partners.
