OSUMC - Section of Musculosceletal Imaging

Musculosceletal imaging is the branch of radiology that focuses on the diagnosis and treatment of diseases and injuries affecting the bones, joints and muscles of the body. This type of imaging is essential for identifying a wide range of conditions, including fractures, arthritis, and tumors.

The history of musculoskeletal imaging dates back to 1885 when Wilhelm Conrad Roentgen discovered the x-rays.  The first medical image was the hand of his wife, clearly revealing her bones, and a ring. It instantly revolutionized the diagnosis of fractures, and created the specialty of musculoskeletal imaging.  Over the years, advancements in imaging technology have greatly improved the quality and accuracy of the musculoskeletal studies.  

In 1970's Computed Tomography (CT) provided cross-sectional views. allowing radiologists to see complex bone structures.  In the 1980's Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) revolutionized the field by enabling detailed visualization of muscles, ligaments, tendons, and cartilage. Each  imaging modality has its own strengths and limitations, making it important for radiologists to choose the most appropriate study.

In addition to helping diagnose musculoskeletal conditions, imaging studies are also used to monitor treatment progress and guide interventions such as injections and/or surgeries.  Radiologists trained in musculoskeletal imaging a crucial role in interpreting these studies, and by providing accurate diagnoses guide patients' care. 

Dr. Joseph S. Yu was born in San Paulo, Brazil. His undergraduate studies were at the Ohio State University (1979-1983).  He received his MD degree from the Ohio State College of Medicine in 1987. His internship was at East Carolina University College of Medicine, Greenville, NC.  His residency was in the Department of Radiology at OSU from 1988 to 1992. Upon the completion of his residency and board certification, he did a fellowship in Musculoskeletal Imaging at the University of San Diego, CA (1992-1993). Dr. Yu returned to OSU and established the section of Musculoskeletal Imaging which during his tenure grew to national and international prominence. Dr. Yu was a prolific writer, having published more than 131 papers in refereed journals and more than 43 book chapters. His academic output exceeded that of any other member in our department, leading to his promotion in 1994 to the rank of Professor of Radiology and Orthopedic Surgery. In addition, he served as the Vice Chair, overseeing educational processes for medical students, resident, and fellows and from January 2009 to August 2010, he held the position of Interim Chair of the Department of Radiology.

Dr. Marcella Dardani received her DO degree from the University of New England, Biddeford, ME, in 1985. She did an internship at Firelands Regional Medical Center GME in Sandusky, OH and a residency in Radiology at Doctors Hospital in Columbus, OH from 1986 to 1989.  She did a Fellowship in Body Imaging from 1990-1991.  She was certified by the American Board of Radiology in 1995. She has published five articles in referee journals focusing on the use of conventional and advanced imaging such as MRI of the musculoskeletal system.  Dr. Dardani is an Assistant Professor of Radiology and her passion is teaching residents in the area of her expertise, the musculoskeletal system.

Alan Rogers, received his MD degree from the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine in 2002.  His internship was at the Ascension Saint Vincent Hospital in Indianapolis, ID.   His Radiology residency was at the Ohio State Department of Radiology from 7/1/2003 to 6/30/2007. He was certified by the American Board of Radiology on 6/6/2007. Upon completing his residency he did a Fellowship in Musculoskeletal Imaging at OSUMC from 7/1/2007 to 6/30/2008.  Dr. Rogers is known for his expert interpretation of radiographs, and advanced imaging studies such as CT and MRI of the musculoskeletal system. He has published 16 articles in referee journals.  He also performs minimally invasive diagnostic and therapeutic procedures, such as joint injections and biopsies.  Alan was one of the best residents in our department; the patients he serves are fortunate that he elected to stay as an attending.

This post is dedicated to al Radiology residents, fellows, and attendings who have provided expert and compassionate care to patients at the Ohio State Medical Center, since 1943, when the department was founded by                               Professor Hugh Means.

OSUMC Radiology - Section of Breast Imaging

Breast Imaging has undergone significant advancements over the past century, that made for an early detection and treatment of breast cancer. Robert Egan in 1956 at the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, combined a technique of low kVp and high mA and single emulsion films as a method of detecting calcifications in breast tissue, confirming breast cancers. The 1970s marked the widespread adoption of screen-film mammography, enhancing image clarity, and diagnostic accuracy.  In the same decade xeromammography introduced a dry imaging process, offering improved image quality and contrast compared to traditional methods. In the 1980s, breast ultrasound offered a non-invasive, radiation-free method which was particularly useful for assessing dense breasts or distinguishing between solid and cystic masses.  Late in 1980 dedicated stereotactic devices were developed for biopsy purposes.  In the early units the patient was in a sitting position while later the patient was prone.  A metallic marker was left in place for wire localization if it was needed later. MRI became a valuable tool in the 1990s, providing high-resolution images and functional information, aiding in detecting and characterizing breast lesions.  In the early 2000s, digital mammography replaced analog film, allowing for electronic image storage and manipulation, thereby improving diagnostic capabilities.  In 2010s Digital Breast Tomosynthesis or 3D mammography, provided three-dimensional imaging, reducing tissue overlap and enhancing detection especially in dense breasts. Contrast enhanced mammography is a method that highlights tumor vascularity and it is less expensive than breast MRI.  Molecular breast imaging is a nuclear medicine technique that detects metabolically active lesions. These advances made Breast Imaging and Interventions a distinct subspecialty in Diagnostic Radiology departments.

Lucy Freedy was born in the small town of Conway, North Carolina. She was one of the first women that was admitted to and graduated from Wake Forest College in North Carolina. Her dream was to become a medical doctor. After several unsuccessful attempts, she was admitted to Duke University Medical School.  She graduated and received her MD degree in 1957.  Her academic marks ranked her 2nd in her graduating class of 88 students.  When I became Chairman of the department I was impressed by Lucy's willingness to work in any section additional manpower was needed and her passion for breast imaging.  In addition to clinical duties she was willing to pass her knowledge to residents and medical students.  One of my best decisions was that I appointed Dr. Freedy as my Vice Chair during my tenure from 1992 to 2004.  She offered me advise when it was needed as I was the newcomer and later I enjoyed working with her in our breast section.  After many years of hard work she spent her retirement years in her beloved south in Clearwater Florida.  Lucy sadly passed on March 27, 2026 in her sleep at the age of 97. 

Michele McCorvey was born in Luverne a small rural town in Alabama. Luverne is located to the south of Montgomery a pivotal city of the American Civil Rights movement famously know as the birthplace of the 1955-56 Bus Boycott sparked by Rosa Parks.  Dr. McCorvey did her undergraduate studies at Yale University and she received her MD degree from Jefferson Medical College of Thomas Jefferson University. She did her internship at Thomas Jefferson and her residency in Diagnostic Radiology at Hahnemann now Drexel University Medical Center and the George Washington University Medical Center from 1998 to 2002.  Her Fellowship on Breast Imaging and Intervention and Cross Sectional Imaging was at the George Washington University Medical Center in 7/2002-6/2003. When she joined OSU she was appointed as an Assistant Professor and was appointed as an Associate Professor of Clinical Radiology at the University of Texas in 2014. She is currently employed by Virtual Radiology Corporation (vRad), a Radiology Partners (RP) Company (9/2015 - present).  Michelle's two years tenure with us significantly enhanced the quality of care we provided to our patients. Although her time at OSU was brief, her impact was big.  When she moved to University of Texas San Antonio, the distance did not diminish our bond. We stayed in close contact, often visiting with her during breast meetings in Texas, cherishing the moments we shared and the lasting connections we built.

John Olsen was born in Brooklyn, NY, in 1943.  He completed his internship at D.C. General Hospital on the Georgetown Medical Service and his residency in Radiology at the University of Chicago in 1973.  After graduation, he served in the Army for two years and then practiced in Glen Cove, NY.  In 1976, he was hired as an Assistant Professor at the Ohio State and worked as a general radiologist. He was involved in breast imaging since 1977 when OSU acquired a Siemens Mammomat the first dedicated breast imaging platform that adopted low dose film. At the time most of mammography was done with standard x-ray equipment and industrial film requiring large doses of radiation and correctly Dr. Sydney Nelson, Radiology's Chairman considered unsafe.  The department at OSU was the first in Ohio to use low dose and to have a platform designed for breast imaging.  Dr. Olsen assisted in Nuclear Medicine, and in 1979 became the Acting Director and the the Director until 2006. In the early years and until the section of Breast Imaging was established mammograms were interpreted in Nuclear Medicine where breast surgeons like Dr. William Farrar and the legendary Dr. James brought cases to Dr. Olsen for consultation.  The department was among the first that adapted to the emerging technique of digital mammography in Central Ohio but long after two other health systems in a small Ohio town, Lima did. All referrals to Dr. Farrar from the Lima hospitals impressed him and suggested to two philanthropists Abigail Wexner and John Wolfe's wife to buy a digital unit for us and they did. When we moved to the outpatient breast center in Dublin, Dr. Olsen was the chief of mammography. I learned from him how to do stereotactic biopsies with the patients in prone position which made the procedure more comfortable and less frightening to the patients. They were many things I learned from Dr. Olsen.  The most important was the way he was interacting with the patients. He took time to sit with each patient, carefully listening to their concerns, answering questions, and addressing their fears with compassion and understanding. It was not only the patients but the breast surgeons recognized Dr. Olsen's knowledge and consulted with him on difficult cases.  Dr. Olsen was a doctor's doctor.  John has now retired in Columbus, Ohio.

Dimitrios Spigos, as my curriculum vitae appears in prior posts, I will mention only key dates.  I graduated from the University of Athens in 1967.  I spent the next three years in the Greek Navy. My residency was at the University of Illinois in Chicago.  When I graduated in 1975, I was appointed chief of Angiography and Interventional Radiology in our department.  During my tenure at the University of Illinois, I became known for the description of how to perform renal biopsies under ultrasound guidance and the performance of splenic embolisation.  In 1986, I was appointed Chairman of Radiology at Cook County Hospital in Chicago, and in 1992 I became Chairman of Radiology at the Ohio State Hospital.  In the first years at OSU I worked with Dr. Al Stockum a wonderful human being and an exceptional angiographer.  When the work in Breast Imaging increased, I joined Drs. Freedy and Olsen reviewing initially screening mammograms with the residents and doing biopsies under ultrasound guidance. As MRI became more popular, I spend most of my time reporting MRI studies and performing biopsies under MR guidance.  

Our outpatient unit in Dublin was unique, as breast surgeons and radiologists worked under one roof. Drs William Farrar, Doreen Agnese, Lisa Yee, William Burak, Steve Povoski, William Carson, and we, the radiologists, cooperated closely with the goal of delivering the highest quality care to the patients.

This post is dedicated to my colleague and friend John Olsen.  John and I were born in the closing days of WWII, he in New York and I in Athens - two great cities, one on the west coast of the Atlantic and the other on the Mediterranean.  We both did our radiology residencies in Chicago, and upon completion, he moved to Ohio while I stayed in Illinois.  We met when I joined the department of Radiology at the Ohio State University.  There are many tributes that someone can admire about John.  He sought the continuous advancement in his chosen fields - Nuclear Medicine and Breast Imaging and he fostered close cooperation with colleagues in surgery and      oncology having as a sole aim the benefit of his patients.

Ohio State Hospital Medical Directors

Manuel Tzagournis was the first medical director of the OSU hospitals before becoming the Acting Dean in 1980, then the Dean in 1981 until 1985, and finally the Vice President of Health Sciences in 1994 until 2002.

Hagop Mekhjian had his education at the American University of Beirut from which he got a BA in 1958 and his MD in 1962.  He did an internship and a Residency in Internal Medicine between 1961 and 1964 in his home country.  He continued his studies in the United States; in 1965 he did a residency in Gastroenterology at Lahey Clinic in Boston, and in 1966 did a Fellowship in Gastroenterology at Cincinnati General Hospital.  In 1967, he became a Research Assistant in Gastroenterology at the Mayo Clinic. Between 1970 and 1977, he served in the Army in Falls Church, Virginia.  He ascended the academic ladder from Assistant Professor of Medicine in 1969 to Professor in 1988 and Professor Emeritus in 2010.  He is licensed to practice medicine in the States of Florida and Ohio. He was the Medical Director of the Ohio State Hospitals between the years 1985 and 2010.  The Ohio State created an Endowed Lectureship in his name in 2015.  He authored or co-authored 132 papers in referee journals. He was an active researcher with 23 awards.  Hagop lives in Columbus, Ohio with his loving wife of 50 years Janice, their two children and their grandchildren.

Andrew Thomas, got a Bachelor degree in History and Science from Harvard University in 1991. He earned his MD degree from Ohio State University College of Medicine in 1995. It was the respect his grandparent had for their physians that inspire him to become a doctor.  Andy did an internal medicine residency at OSUMC from July 1995 to June 1998. He received a MBA from Fisher College of Medicine in 2000.  He was the Assistant Medical Director from 1999 to 2005, and Associate Director until 2010 and Medical Director at OSU Hospitals since 2013.  Dr. Thomas is Clinical Professor of Internal Medicine.  He has published 48 papers in peer-review journals.  His colleagues describe him as a collaborate, and thoughtful leader.  As the chief clinical officer of the Ohio State Wexner Medical Center, his role is the oversight of inpatient and outpatient services and assuring collaboration between departments.  Dr. Thomas still sees patients, something uncommon, but admirable for a busy administrator. I knew Andy since the time he was a medical resident.  He was intelligent and caring, and I will always remember what he told me when I converted Radiology to a filmless department, that its impact to the resident training and delivery of correct care was immense. Andy says that he has spent some of the best years of his adult life at Ohio State and in Columbus, with his wife Lisa and their three children. 

OSUMC is fortunate to have had leaders like Drs. Manuel Tzagournis, Hagop Mehkjian and and Andrew Thomas 

                                     Authored by D. G. Spigos, MD

                        Professor Emeritus and former Chairman

                                  Department of Radiology 1992-2004

It is dedicated to Manuel, Hagop and Andy who in addition for being               colleagues were and have remained great friends for life.

OSU College of Medicine Deans

William J. Means was the first Dean of The Ohio State University's College of Medicine.  He was appointed in 1914, when the College of Medicine was established by combining the Starling-Ohio Medical College with the Ohio State University. Means also served as the first Chairman and Professor of the Department of Surgery until 1916.  Means received his medical education degree in 1874 from the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, and held several positions at the Ohio Medical University, and Starling-Ohio Medical College before becoming the Dean.  Means Hall was built in 1951 and was named in his honor in 1968, and stands as a reminder for his contributions.

Eugene F. McCampbell received his BS and PHD degrees from the University of Chicago in 1911.  He received his M.D. degree from Rush Medical College in1912.  He was a member of the OSU College of Medicine faculty from 1914 to1917, and became the Dean of the College from 1917 until 1927. 

John H. Upham, was born in the State of New Jersey.  He obtained his M.D. degree from the University of Pennsylvania in 1894. Upon graduation, he did a residency at Johns Hopkins at a time when notable physicians such as William Osler, William Halstead and William Welch among others were his teachers. Dr. Upham moved to Columbus in 1896. He was first hired as an Instructor in Medicine by Starling Medical College in 1897, and became an Associate Professor in 1902, and a Professor in 1908.  He joined the Ohio State College of Medicine in 1914, and spent the rest of his career at the OSU, until his retirement in 1941.  Upham Hall, was named to honor him, for his many contributions in the practice of medicine, and the education of medical students and young doctors.  

Charles A. Doan became the Dean in 1944.  He coordinated successfully the building of the University Hospital, which was completed and admitted patients on July 1, 1951. To the original hospital that is known as the "old hospital", six buildings have been added, and the complex is now designated by the Board of Trustees as the "University Hospitals."  Dr. Doan supported and financed the first commercial Nuclear Medicine camera which is now in the Smithsonian, in Washington DC. He and Dr. Meyer brought a medical cyclotron at Ohio State's campus along and a nuclear reactor.  Dr. Meyers produced and introduced at least six radionuclides in medicine.  The building of the University Hospital and the advances he Nuclear Medicine were notable accomplishments.

Richard L Meiling (1908-1984) was the leader at the OSUCM across multiple decades.  He was Professor and Dean of the College of Medicine and Director of the University Hospitals.  Dr. Meiling received his medical degree with honors at the University of Munich, Germany in 1937.  Upon completion of his medical education, he came to OSU in 1938.  He did a residency in Pathology and Obstetrics and Gynecology at Western Reserve University Hospital in Cleveland, and was board certified in both fields. He was a fellow of the American College of Surgeons, and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.  He conducted original scientific work in the use of vitamin C, the application of Cobalt-60, and in the "air evacuation" of patients by the military.  His interest, in medical education, led him to receive many invitations as a consultant by several foreign governments, and overseas medical groups.  Meiling answered a call to serve, first with the Hoover Commission on National Security, and then as a consultant to the Secretary of Defense, in 1948.  The building that houses OSU medical school, was named after him, as a recognition for his contributions to OSU College of Medicine and the nation.

John A. Prior (1913-1992) was Professor Emeritus and Associate Dean for the Ohio State's College of Medicine.  Doctor Prior received both his BA and MD degrees from the Ohio State's College of Medicine.  After an internship at Grant hospital, in Columbus, he did a residency in Internal Medicine and a Fellowship in Pulmonary Diseases at the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine.  He was recognized nationally for his expertise in the area of chest diseases especially in tuberculosis and histoplasmosis. Dr. Prior chaired the committee that was responsible for the design and creation of the Health Sciences Library, which was named "John A. Prior Health Sciences Library" in his honor on September 1, 1988.

Henry G. Cramblett (1929-2018) received his medical degree from the University of Cincinnati in 1953.  Dr. Cramblett came to OSUCM in 1966 as the Chairman of the Department of Medical Microbiology.  He was the Dean of the College of Medicine between the years of 1973 and 1980.  He was instrumental in the opening of the Outpatient Clinic in 1974, a building that was named after him.  It was Dr. Cramblett who established the relationship between Ohio State and the Nationwide Children Hospital which is nationally recognized for advanced care.  Dr. Cramblett received the distinguished Service Award by the State Medical Board. 

Manuel Tzagournis was born in 1934 in Youngstown, Ohio and received his BS and MD degrees from Ohio State University.  He was the son of Adam and Argyro Tzagournis, who were immigrants from the Greek island of Crete.  In 1961, while doing an internship at the Philadelphia General Hospital, he became interested in diabetes mellitus, which led him to practice endocrinology.  Tzagournis served as a National Institute of Health, principal investigator, at its General Clinical Research Center. He was responsible for the unit that studies patients with metabolic diseases.  Tzagournis held numerous positions at OSU including Assistant Dean for Research and Continuing Medical Education; Secretary of the Faculty of the College of Medicine; Associate Dean; Medical Director of the OSU Hospital; Acting Dean in1980; Dean (1981-1995); Vice President for Health Sciences (1994-2002); and Vice President and later President of the University's Managed Care System.  Tzagournis is known for having produced an amiable resolution of the dispute about the practice plan, and for maintaining a good relationship between the alumni, and the practicing physicians.  I was recruited by Dr. Tzagournis, who was affectionately known as "Manny", his nickname.  As many faculty from all departments will testify, he considered and treated all faculty as members of his family.  In 1999, The Ohio State University, honored Dr. Tzagournis for his many contributions in the field of medicine, naming a new building that houses research laboratories as " The Tzagournis Medical Research Facility". 

                 Authored by D. G. Spigos MD and John Olsen MD

                         Emeritus Professors at The Ohio State University 

                        

 

This post is dedicated to Dr. W Willoughby, Mr. Sterling, and the Deans mentioned in this post, for their tireless efforts that made Ohio State     School of Medicine the preeminent medical school, it is today.