Diffusion-weighted MR imaging in musculoskeletal radiology: applications in trauma, tumors, and inflammation.

Diffusion-weighted imaging is a noninvasive magnetic resonance technique that is capable of measuring icroscopic movement of water molecules (ie, random or Brownian motion) within biologic tissues. Diffusion weighting is achieved with a pulsed-field gradient that leaves "static" spins unaffected but causes dephasing of spin ensembles that experience different motion histories according to their diffusion paths, with respect to the direction of the gradient. This article focuses on the interesting opportunities of the use of diffusion weighted imaging in the diagnosis of musculoskeletal diseases, including trauma, tumor, and inflammation.