Musculoskeletal Imaging Fellowship

The Musculoskeletal Imaging division has been selected more than once by the residents as the the best teaching section in recent years.  The MSK division director, Shelly Marette, has also won individual the best teacher award in the past. Jutta Ellermann is a well known researcher in Musculoskeletal Imaging with particular interest in cartilage imaging. Dr. Ellermann has a joint appointment in the Center for Magnetic Resonance Research. This is a world renowned research institute located on the University of Minnesota campus embedded within the Department of Radiology.  Our section has a strong relationship with the University of Minnesota Orthopedic Department with multiple ongoing collaborative research projects each year.

The goal of this one year clinical fellowship is to broaden the base of medical knowledge, develop progressively independent interpretive and technical skills, and to become proficient in accurate clinical decision making and consulting. The fellowship also provides teaching and research opportunities adjusted to an individual’s special interests and talents.

Upon completion of the fellowship, the graduate will have the foundation to build an academic career in radiology or enter a private practice in the role of a well- trained musculoskeletal subspecialist.

The Fellow will be primarily stationed at recently opened Clinics and Surgery Center. This is a state of the art facility with both 1.5T and 3.0T MRI scanners.  CT and ultrasound machines as well as fluoroscopy are located at this facility as well.  The MSK reading room is stationed immediately adjacent to those scanners, allowing us to review images and provide input.  This allows a team approach as we strive to provide excellent patient care.

Additionally, we are responsible for all Musculoskeletal imaging performed at University of Minnesota Medical Center East Bank Hospital, Maple Grove outpatient clinic and some of the Riverside hospital studies. There are a total of three 3T MRI Magnets and three 1.5T MRI Magnets at these locations. 

Our average daily volume ranges from 100-150 total studies, which consists of average 15-25 cross sectional studies, primarily MRI, and ample amount of plain films. 

The core strength of our program is the wide spectrum of cases.  Throughout training, a fellow will be exposed to a variety of cases from bread and butter cases of acute trauma, sports medicine related injuries, including high level athletes from University of MN Big Ten Gopher’s teams to rather unique cases to tertiary referral center such as daily orthopedic oncologic cases.  There is exposure to enough volume and variety of cases for the fellow to learn. The fellow should expect dedicated view box teaching for individual cases including plain films early in the course of their training.

A fellow will be working with one or two of four musculoskeletal specialized radiologists each day.  We pride ourselves for excellence and dedication in teaching.

Joe Luchsinger was the first MSK fellow, after completing residency at the University of Minnesota in 2018. After fellowship Joe left for a private practice job in the San Diego area of Southern California however when an opportunity opened to return to the University of Minnesota he returned to the Twin Cities. Within musculoskeletal radiology, Joe enjoys teaching and doing procedures and continues to further our section’s ultrasound program.

Shelly Marette, who had won the best teacher award in the past, has been working closely with our tertiary referral center orthopedic oncologists for past 10 years and her primary interest in musculoskeletal oncologic imaging provide education only possible in such a clinical setting.

Takashi Takahashi is our newest addition to the team. After finishing his Residency in 2012 Takashi was fellowship trained in Musculoskeletal Radiology with Dr. Donald Resnick at the University of California San Diego in 2013-2014. Subsequently he spent a year of additional study as a Fellow in the Dept of Neuroradiology here at the University of MN. In addition to his skills in interventional procedures and imaging, Takashi brings enthusiasm for research into the section.

As a member of our team, our fellow will not only be the recipient of teaching but be a teacher as we go through our daily clinical case load with residents and medical students. Sports Medicine Fellows also rotate into our reading rooms.  All of us provide some didactic lectures during the year. 

There is a vibrant research effort associated with the MSK section at the Department of Radiology.  The research is spanning a wide range of activities from basic science MRI imaging, high level translational research to advanced clinical imaging. The MSK research is based on a strong collaborative effort with the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery at the University and other institutions. The research is also embedded in the Center of Magnetic Resonance Research (CMRR).  This Center has pioneered ultrahigh field imaging, first in the brain, and, subsequently, in the human torso and musculoskeletal system, and remains one of the leaders in the world to drive the effort to image the entire human body at high and ultrahigh magnetic fields. These technological achievements are translated to the study of clinical orthopaedic imaging problems and provide new tools for patient care and management with a focus on clinical translational research. 

Jutta Ellermann is a MSK fellowship trained Board Certified Radiologist with 10 years of clinical practice at the University of Minnesota with a special focus on MSK imaging research.  Her areas of research interest include:

• The young adult hip in the context of femoroacetabular impingement (FAI) and prevention of premature osteoarthritis.
• Better understanding the etiology of Osteochondritis Dissecans (OCD) in young patient, building an imaging knowledge base for evidence based treatment strategies.
• Imaging of the Legg-Calve-Perthes Disease (LCPD) of the hip.
• New imaging strategies for the meniscus to better understand outcomes of meniscal repair versus conservative treatment.
• 3D Imaging of the shoulder to built kinematic models for the rotator cuff.
• 7T bilateral hip imaging for higher resolution imaging.
• Special quantitative cartilage imaging strategies with novel sequences developed at CMRR to evaluate cartilage degeneration and repair.

Fellows will have ample opportunity for musculoskeletal image guided procedures including but not limited to therapeutic/diagnostic arthrography of standard large joints e.g. hip, shoulder, knee, wrist, elbow, but also smaller joints e.g. any of foot or ankle joints, hand joints etc.  There will also be opportunity for spine intervention including translaminar and transforaminal epidural injections.

A fellow will have additional opportunity to perform a CT and ultrasound guided biopsies, drainages, and tube placements under the elective rotation in our well-known interventional radiology section.  Fellowship guidance and supervision will be determined on an individual basis depending primarily on the experience and abilities of each fellow.

Fellows get 8 optional weeks of elective time throughout the year that can be spent within the division including research. If desired, a fellow may spend time outside the division (cardiovascular imaging, interventional radiology, pediatric imaging, breast imaging, body imaging, neuroradiology).  Alternatively, our fellow may use elective time for away rotation.  The Fellow will need pay their own expenses associated with rotations at other institutions.  Elective time outside the division requires approval of the program director and the section head of that division.

MSK fellow, attending and interested residents will have biweekly morning conference.  The typical conference consists of 2-3 interesting cases with relevant literature review and extensive discussion. At times, the conference will consist of a didactic presentation by one of musculoskeletal imaging faculty, fellow or a discussion of ongoing research or other projects.  This process will prepare a fellow to keep up with continuing evolution of musculoskeletal imaging field beyond fellowship.  

Fellows will also participate in the U of MN radiology clinical conferences and tumor boards. This is a critically important component of the fellowship as it provides an excellent learning opportunity. The responsibility and degree of involvement during presentations will gradually increase throughout the year.

The section currently presents cases for the following conferences:

• Orthopedic Department Didactic Conference – Weekly
• Musculoskeletal Tumor Board Conference - Weekly
• Orthopedic Ground Rounds Conference – Weekly

After hours call is not currently incorporated into the fellowship.