Imaging of the muscle and bone from benchtop to bedside

Studies have begun to show that muscles and bones play a role in the regulation of biological functions through a combination of biomechanical and biochemical signals. In vivo and ex vivo imaging techniques are crucial in the understanding of the morphology and architecture of muscle and bone for further understanding of musculoskeletal physiology and pathophysiology. This systematic review of the literature summarizes current knowledge and outlines new insights into the functions of muscle and bone elucidated by imaging techniques, with a focus on the recent advances in the musculoskeletal system enabled by novel technologies, such as CLARITY, Fast Free-of-Acrylamide Clearing Tissue (FACT), computed tomography (CT), and positron emission tomography (PET). This may serve as guidance for the development of new strategies to prevent and diagnose motor or metabolism disorders related to the malfunction of muscle and bone.