The book we are reviewing is the Spanish version of the first edition of a work originally in French, Échographie musculosquelettique. The authors are 2 radiologists—also university professors—from the Hospital de Toulouse in France. Because of their extensive experience in musculoskeletal radiology, the book has a multidisciplinary focus, analysing the usefulness and limits of ultrasound in chapters on different situations and making it possible to replace it with other imaging methods.
The text is a compendium in a 13×22, paperback, easy-to-handle, pocket volume of 305 pages; it has very high-quality figures, most in black and white and some Doppler images in colour.
The subjects are presented in a logical manner in 11 chapters, in easy-to-read format, with a practical training manual. Each chapter describes the normal appearance and anatomical features of a structure or joint, along with the ultrasound examination technique for taking systematic slices in each case. It goes on to detail the different diseases and conditions, starting with the clinical symptomatology in most instances.
To enhance the book's pedagogical features, the authors have added clear, accurate diagrams of echo-anatomy as well as for other imaging techniques so that, at any given moment, the reader may choose the most appropriate technique for arriving at a diagnosis.
The book also has complementary multimedia content. Online access provides the opportunity to consult 60 3-D videos with their corresponding explanations and descriptions.
Several books on ultrasound imaging of the musculoskeletal system are already on the market, including some by their French professors—Jean-Louis Brasseur, for example, who wrote the preface. However, the Sans and Lapègue work is basically a didactic text that is outstanding for its clarity. Its meticulous iconography and echo-anatomy diagrams facilitate comprehension and make it easy to read. Without any doubt this book will be a valuable resource for all students, residents, radiologists, traumatologists, rheumatologists, rehabilitators, and others who wish to have a clear understanding of ultrasound diagnosis of the anatomy and pathology of the musculoskeletal system.
Please cite this article as Martín-Hervás C. Ecografía musculoesquelética. Rev esp cir ortop traumatol. 2011;55(6):489.
