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.