Penn Radiology Division of Musculoskeletal Radiology

The faculty and staff members of the Division of Musculoskeletal Radiology offer patients world-class clinical expertise and cutting-edge technology for the diagnosis and image-guided treatment of disorders affecting bones, joints, and soft tissues. Our mission is to advance knowledge in the field of musculoskeletal disorders by promoting education and collaborative translational research in partnership with expert specialists in Orthopedic Surgery, Orthopedic Oncology, Sports Medicine, Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, and Rheumatology.
Doctor pointing to X-ray of hands

Clinical

The Division of Musculoskeletal Radiology is staffed by expert radiologists who interpret all diagnostic modalities of musculoskeletal imaging. This includes radiography, fluoroscopy, CT, MRI, ultrasound, and DEXA and encompasses all areas of musculoskeletal imaging, including sports medicine, trauma, rheumatology, infectious and inflammatory conditions, metabolic bone diseases, and neoplastic processes involving bones and soft tissues.

A wide variety of diagnostic and therapeutic image-guided procedures are also performed under fluoroscopic, CT, and ultrasound guidance. This includes arthrograms, diagnostic/therapeutic injections, and percutaneous biopsies. The division has a very busy ultrasound service and performs the full array of diagnostic and therapeutic sonographic procedures.

Education

The Division of Musculoskeletal Radiology is extensively involved in training fellows and residents. Trainees will be exposed to the full range of musculoskeletal pathology and acquire extensive experience in image-guided musculoskeletal procedures. Fellows also have a dedicated pediatric musculoskeletal imaging rotation at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia.

Fellows participate in a variety of conferences, including the dedicated fellows conference and weekly review of interesting cases. In addition, fellows attend and present at multiple interdisciplinary conferences, including the sarcoma tumor board, the radiology/rheumatology conference, and several radiology/orthopedics collaborative conferences.

Research

The division provides faculty and trainees with the opportunity to participate in clinical and translational research projects. The work incorporates cutting-edge artificial intelligence technology and biomolecular and microstructural imaging techniques to assess cartilage, bone, and muscle.

There is also collaboration with Felix W. Wehrli, PhD, and his group in the Laboratory for Structural, Physiologic and Functional Imaging (LSPFI), focusing on the use of MR-based "virtual bone biopsy" and image-based computational biomechanics. Opportunities for multidisciplinary collaborative research are enhanced by our partnership with the Penn Center for Musculoskeletal Disorders, led by Dr. Lou Soslowsky.

Division Chief

Headshot of Levon N. Nazarian, MD Levon N. Nazarian, MD

Administrative and Technical Support

Denia Budhan
MSK Radiology Coordinator | Administrative Assistant

Michelle Waters
Radiology Extender 

Ben Zapiec
Radiology Extender