Imaging techniques and laboratory diagnostic methods for musculoskeletal disorders
1. Big picture
Musculoskeletal diagnosis is pattern recognition + targeted tests. The examiner wants you to understand which test answers which clinical question.
Core rule:
History and examination decide the diagnostic direction → laboratory tests confirm inflammation/autoimmunity/metabolic disease/infection → imaging shows structure, activity, complications, and damage.
Never diagnose rheumatic disease from a single positive lab result. A positive antinuclear antibody, rheumatoid factor, or HLA-B27 is meaningful only when the clinical picture fits.
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