The Effectiveness of MRI in Diagnosing Musculoskeletal Injuries Compared to Ultrasound and X-ray

Musculoskeletal injuries are a significant cause of morbidity worldwide, necessitating accurate diagnostic imaging to guide management. This study compares the diagnostic efficacy of X-ray, ultrasound, and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in evaluating musculoskeletal injuries in a tertiary hospital setting. X-ray demonstrated high specificity for fracture detection but was limited in diagnosing soft tissue injuries. Ultrasound proved valuable for superficial tendon assessments but exhibited variability due to operator dependency. MRI provided the highest diagnostic accuracy across all injury types, particularly in complex soft tissue cases. A multimodal approach to imaging may optimize diagnostic accuracy and resource utilization in clinical practice.