Advanced diagnostic imaging techniques for pedal osseous neoplasms

It is a widely held view that the initial evaluation of foot and ankle osseous tumors and tumor-like lesions begins with the conventional radiograph. It is equally recognized that musculoskeletal radiology has undergone a veritable revolution in the last few decades, as it continues to experience refinements that allow increased sensitivity of anatomic localization, specificity of pathologic tissue characterization, and hence greater insight into the subsequent therapeutic maneuvers that may significantly affect case management and survival outcomes of more aggressive disease processes. This article discusses the basics of various imaging modalities and applies these principles to a number of examples of osseous tumors with the hope that podiatrists, orthopedists, radiologists, and others might develop an approach to selecting the most appropriate diagnostic study, as well as an increased awareness of the appearance of some of the entities that these specialists might encounter in routine practice.