Magnetic resonance spectroscopy of the musculoskeletal system.

Magnetic resonance spectroscopy can be used to characterize the bioenergetic state of the musculoskeletal system, and several marker compounds related to the tissue's biochemistry have been found to exist. Potential new techniques involving better spatial localization, spectral editing, and examination of nuclei other than phosphorus are in the developmental stage. Their development over the next few years will determine the extent to which MRS will become a universally used medical tool. However, the results with 31P alone guarantee a continued role in the study of muscular disease, peripheral vascular disease, and hypoxia and ischemia of the neonatal brain.