61 patients with clinical findings suspicious for an osteomyelitis were examined by MRI between January 1985 and November 1989. All results were verified either by surgery or by the clinical course. MRI criteria of a musculoskeletal infection were: decreased signal intensity of the lesions on short TR, short TE images and increased signal to intensity on long TR, long TE images when compared to the intensity of normal bone marrow, adipose tissue and muscles. 35 of 61 patients had been examined by 99mTc-MDP three phase bone scans prior to the MRI examination. Sensitivity and specificity of the MRI examinations were superior to those of bone scans. We therefore recommend MRI examinations as the method of choice in the diagnosis of the early musculoskeletal infections and in all chronic complicated cases.