Imaging growing bone is challenging, as bone structure, shape and size changes continuously until skeletal maturity. The numerous normal variants of growth which may mimic pathology have been accurately described radiographically, but little is known on the appearances on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), for example. Thus, techniques and protocols designed for adults should not be applied in children without being properly audited and adjusted. As paediatric radiologists we have important work to do! From 2020 the TF also includes the topic Skeletal Dysplasia.

The main goal of the Musculoskeletal Taskforce is:

  • to present recommendations on ”best practice” for paediatric MSK imaging, based on own research and on the available literature

Chairpersons:
Laura Tanturri De Horatio (IT)

Committee Members:
Karen Rosendahl (NO)
Paolo Toma (IT)
Ignasi Barber (ES)
Lil-Sofie Ording Müller (NO)
Paul Humphries (UK)
Paula D’Angelo (IT)
Pier Luigi Di Paolo (IT)
Susan Shelmerdine (UK)
Amaka Offiah (UK)
Paolo Simoni (LU)
Thekla von Kalle (DE)
Sandra Diaz Ruiz (SE)
Ola Kvist (SE)
Marina Vakaki (GR)
Alessandra Bartolini (IT)
Céline Habre (CH)
Vasiliki Dermentzoglou (GR)
Lene Bjerke Laborie (NO)
Amira Dhouib Chargui (CH)
Ilze Apine (LV)
Natalija Merkla (LV)
Mikhael Sebaaly (US)
Domen Plut (SI)
Janina Patsch (AT)
Thomas Angell Augdal (NO)
Silvia Dias (PT)
Flavia Menegotto (UK)
Samuel Stafrace (CA, UK)
Konstantinos Chlapoutakis (GR)
Emilio J. Inarejos Clemente (ES)

Associated members:
Robert Hemke (NL)
Derk Avenarius (NO)

If you would like to become a member of the Musculoskeletal Taskforce, please send your CV to office@espr.org.

Ongoing Projects

  1. Ultrasound of the knee – normal references (Vakaki, Dermentzoglou, Rosendahl)
  2. Imaging in haemophilia (Plut)
  3. Skeletal dysplasias. European database, holding data on country, year of birth, sex, diagnosis etc. Aiming at increasing numbers for studies (re)defining radiological phenotypes (Offiah)
  4. Survey on skeletal burden in fibrous dysplasia (Offiah)
  5. Fracture healing in children under 3 years of age (Rosendahl, Tanturri de Horatio, Habre, Laborie, Plut, Stafrace, Kvist, Fossmark, Dias, Clemente, Ottavianelli, Ferreira, Mcevoy, Dhoub, von Kalle).

Bone age

1. Ording Müller LS, Offiah A, Adamsbaum C, Barber I, Di Paolo PL, Humphries P, Shelmerdine S, Tanturri De Horatio L, Toma P, Treguier C, Rosendahl K. Bone age for chronological age determination – statement of the European Society of Paediatric Radiology musculoskeletal task force group. Pediatr Radiol. 2019 Jun;49(7):979-982. doi: 10.1007/s00247-019-04379-4. Epub 2019 Mar 26. PMID: 30911781.

Ultrasound screening for Developmental dysplasia of the hip (DDH)

1. Laborie LB, Rosendahl K, Dhouib A, Simoni P, Tomà P, Offiah AC. The effect of selective ultrasound screening on the incidence of late presentation of developmental hip dysplasia-a meta-analysis. Pediatr Radiol. 2023 Sep;53(10):1977-1988. doi: 10.1007/s00247-023-05666-x. Epub 2023 Apr 26.

Ultrasound techniques for joint ultrasound

1. Céline Habre, Laura Tanturri de Horatio, Thekla von Kalle, Paolo Simoni, Amaka Offiah, Sven Weum, Thomas Augdal, Paolo Toma, and Karen Rosendahl; on behalf of the Collaborators of the European Society of Paediatric Radiology (ESPR) Musculoskeletal Imaging Taskforce. Ultrasound techniques, measurements and reference values for joint ultrasound in children: a European Society of Paediatric Radiology consensus guideline.

Imaging in Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis (JIA)

1. Costa Dias S, Habre C, Di Paolo PL, d’Angelo P, Augdal TA, Angenete OW, Kljucevsek D, Inarejos Clemente EJ, Tanturri de Horatio L, Rosendahl K.ESR Essentials: juvenile idiopathic arthritis; what every radiologist needs to know-practice recommendations by the European Society of Paediatric Radiology. Eur Radiol. 2025 Aug 19.

Fractures – Child Abuse

1. Colleran GC, Fossmark M, Rosendahl K, Argyropoulou M, Mankad K, Offiah AC. ESR Essentials: imaging of suspected child abuse-practice recommendations by the European Society of Paediatric Radiology. Eur Radiol. 2025 Apr;35(4):1868-1880.

2. Rosendahl K, de Horatio LT, Habre C, Shelmerdine SC, Patsch J, Kvist O, Lein RK, Plut D, Enoksen EJ, Avenarius R, Laborie LB, Augdal TA, Simoni P, van Rijn RR, Offiah AC; European Society of Paediatric Radiology (ESPR) Musculoskeletal and Child Abuse Task Forces. The incidence of fractures in children under two years of age: a systematic review. BMC Musculoskelet Disord. 2024 Jul 9;25(1):528.

Selected research performed by group members.

 

Normal references ultrasound

  1. Dias SC, Carvalho DC, Castro M, Dias CC, Ramos I, Brito I, Rosendahl K. Knee-ultrasound: reference values for the amount of joint fluid and synovial appearances in healthy children and adolescents. Pediatr Radiol. 2025 May;55(6):1127-1137. doi: 10.1007/s00247-025-06243-0. Epub 2025 May 2. PMID: 40314755.
  2. Rosendahl K, Bruserud IS, Oehme N, Júlíusson PB, de Horatio LT, Müller LO, Magni-Manzoni S. Normative ultrasound references for the paediatric wrist; dorsal soft tissues. RMD Open. 2018 Mar 10;4(1):e000642.
  3. Joost Gravendeel, Karen Rosendahl. Cerebral biometry at birth and at 4 and 8 months of age. A prospective study using US. Pediatr Radiol 2010 Oct;40(10):1651-6.  doi: 10.1007/s00247-010-1687-6. 

 

Normal references MRI

  1. Zadig PK, von Brandis E, Flatø B, Ording Müller LS, Nordal EB, de Horatio LT, Rosendahl K, Avenarius DFM. Whole body magnetic resonance imaging in healthy children and adolescents: Bone marrow appearances of the appendicular skeleton. Eur J Radiol. 2022 Aug; 153:110365
  2. von Brandis E, Zadig PK, Avenarius DFM, Flatø B, Knudsen KP, Lilleby V, Nguyen B, Rosendahl K, Ording Muller LS. Whole body magnetic resonance imaging in healthy children and adolescents. Bone marrow appearances of the axial skeleton. Eur J Radiol. 2022 Sep; 154: 110425.

 

Developmental dysplasia of the hip (DDH) – Screening

  1. Laborie LB, Rasmussen H, Jacobsen KK, Gundersen T, Rosendahl K. Neonatal Ultrasound and Radiographic Markers of Hip Dysplasia in Young Adults. 2024 Apr 1;153(4):e2023064564. doi: 10.1542/peds.2023-064564.PMID: 38501191
  2. Selective ultrasound screening for developmental hip dysplasia: effect on management and late detected cases. A prospective survey during 1991-2006.Laborie LB, Markestad TJ, Davidsen H, Brurås KR, Aukland SM, Bjørlykke JA, Reigstad H, Indrekvam K, Lehmann TG, Engesæter IO, Engesæter LB, Rosendahl K. Pediatr Radiol. Pediatr Radiol. 2014 Apr;44(4):410-24.
  3. Laborie LB, Engesæter IØ, Lehmann TG, Eastwood DM, Engesæter LB, Rosendahl K. Screening Strategies for Hip Dysplasia: Long-term Outcome of a Randomized Controlled Trial. 2013 Sep;132(3):492-501
  4. Tréguier C, Chapuis M, Branger B, Bruneau B, Grellier A, Chouklati K, Proisy M, Darnault P, Violas P, Pladys P, Gandon Y. Pubo-femoral distance: an easy sonographic screening test to avoid late diagnosis of DDH. Eur Radiol. 2013 Mar;23(3):836-44.
  5. Brurås KR, Aukland SM, Markestad T, Sera F, Dezateux C, Rosendahl K. Newborns With Sonographically Dysplastic and Potentially Unstable Hips: 6-Year Follow-up of an RCT. Pediatrics 2011 February 14.
  6. Frederik J. A. Beek, Rutger-Jan Nievelstein, Hans E. Pruijs, Pim A. de Jong, Ralph J. B. Sakkers. Transinguinal sonographic determination of the position of the femoral head after reposition and follow-up in a spica cast. Pediatr Radiol (2010) 40:1794–1799.
  7. Rosendahl K, Dezateux C, Fosse K, Aukland SM, Aase H, Reigstad H, Moster D, Lie RT, AlsakerT, Markestad T. Immediate Treatment Versus Sonographic Surveillance for Mild Hip Dysplasia in Newborns. Pediatrics. 2010 Jan;125(1):e9-1
  8. Dezateux C, Rosendahl K. Developmental dysplasia of the hip . Lancet. 2007 May 5;369(9572):1541-52
  9. Rosendahl K, Toma P. Ultrasound in the diagnosis of developmental dysplasia of the hip. The European approach. Methods, accuracy and clinical validity. Eur Radiol. 2007 Aug;17(8):1960-7

 

Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis (JIA)

  1. Tanturri de Horatio L, Shelmerdine SC, d’Angelo P, Paolo PL, Magni-Manzoni S, Malattia C, Damasio MB, Toma P, Avenarius D, Rosendahl K. A novel magnetic resonance imaging scoring system for active and chronic changes in children with juvenile idiopathic arthritis of the hipPediatr Radiol.2023 Mar; 53(3):426-437.
  2. Augdal TA, Angenete OW, Shi XQ, Fischer JM, Nordal E, Rosendahl K. Cone beam computed tomography in the assessment of TMJ deformity in children with JIA: repeatability of a novel scoring system. BMC Oral Health. 2023 Jan 10;23(1):12.
  3. Angenete OW, Augdal TA, Rygg M, Rosendahl K. MRI in the Assessment of TMJ-Arthritis in Children with JIA; Repeatability of a Newly Devised Scoring System. Acad Radiol. 2021 Nov 18.
  4. Barendregt AM, van Gulik EC, Groot PFC, Dolman KM, van den Berg JM, Nassar-Sheikh Rashid A, Schonenberg-Meinema D, Lavini C, Rosendahl K, Hemke R, Kuijpers TW, Maas M, Nusman CM. Prolonged time between intravenous contrast administration and image acquisition results in increased synovial thickness at magnetic resonance imaging in patients with juvenile idiopathic arthritis. Pediatr Radiol. 2019 May; 49(5): 638-645.
  5. van Dijkhuizen EHP, Vanoni F, Magnano GM, Magnaguagno F, Rosendahl K, van Rossum MA, Martini A, Malattia C; the OMERACT Working Group MRI in JIA. Effect of the Inclusion of the Metacarpophalangeal Joints on the Wrist Magnetic Resonance Imaging Scoring System in Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis. J Rheumatol. 2018 Nov;45(11):1581-1587
  6. Shelmerdine SC, Di Paolo PL, Rieter JFMM, Malattia C, Tanturri de Horatio L, Rosendahl K. A novel radiographic scoring system for growth abnormalities and structural change in children with juvenile idiopathic arthritis of the hip. Pediatr Radiol. 2018 Aug;48(8):1086-1095.
  7. Shelmerdine SC, DiPaolo PL, Tanturri de Horatio L. Lalattia C, Magni-Manzoni S, Rosendahl K. Imaging of the hip in JIA. Pediatr Radiol.2018 Jun;48(6):811-817.
  8. Avenarius DF, Ording Müller LS, Rosendahl K.Joint Fluid, Bone Marrow Edemalike Changes, and Ganglion Cysts in the Pediatric Wrist: Features That May Mimic Pathologic Abnormalities-Follow-Up of a Healthy Cohort. AJR Am J Roentgenol. 2017 Mar 23:1-6.
  9. Rieter JF, de Horatio LT, Nusman CM, Müller LO, Hemke R, Avenarius DF, van Rossum MA, Malattia C, Maas M, Rosendahl K. The many shades of enhancement: timing of post-gadolinium images strongly influences the scoring of juvenile idiopathic arthritis wrist involvement on MRI. Pediatr Radiol. 2016 Jul 12.

 

Chronic non-bacterial osteomyelitis (CNO) and whole-body MRI

  1. Tanturri de Horatio L, Zadig PK, von Brandis E, Ording Müller LS, Rosendahl K, Avenarius DFM. Whole-body MRI in children and adolescents: Can T2-weighted Dixon fat-only images replace standard T1-weighted images in the assessment of bone marrow? Eur J Radiol. 2023 Sep;166:110968. doi: 10.1016/j.ejrad.2023.110968.
  2. Pia Zadig, Elisabeth von Brandis, Regina Küfner Lein, Karen Rosendahl, Derk Avenarius, Lil-Sofie Ording Müller. Whole-body magnetic resonance imaging in children – how and why? A systematic review. Pediatr Radiol 2021 Jan;51(1):14-24.
  3. d’Angelo P, de Horatio LT, Toma P, Ording Müller LS, Avenarius D, von Brandis E, Zadig P, Casazza I, Pardeo M, Pires-Marafon D, Capponi M, Insalaco A, Fabrizio B, Rosendahl K. Chronic nonbacterial osteomyelitis – clinical and magnetic resonance imaging features. Pediatr Radiol. 2020 Oct 9.