- Medical School - Delhi University/Maulana Azad Medical College, India (1990-1996)
- Residency - Willington Hospital-Delhi University, Radiology
- Fellowship - Rajiv Gandhi Cancer Institute (1999-2002), Onco-radiology
- Internship - Brookdale University Hospital and Medical Center (2002-2003), Internal Medicine
- Residency - Drexel University College of Medicine (2003-2007), Diagnostic Radiology
- Fellowship - Temple University Dept. of Radiology (2007-2008), Musculoskeletal Radiology

Avneesh Chhabra, M.D.
Chief, Musculoskeletal Radiology; Medical Director of Musculoskeletal Radiology, Parkland Health & Hospital System; Director, Musculoskeletal Radiology Fellowship Program
- Radiology - Musculoskeletal
- Musculoskeletal Disorders
- Diagnostic Radiology
Biography
Avneesh Chhabra, M.D., is an Associate Professor of Radiology at UT Southwestern Medical Center and Chief of its Musculoskeletal Radiology Division. He also serves as Chief of Musculoskeletal Imaging at Parkland Hospital. His clinical interests include magnetic resonance neurography (MRN), sports imaging, rheumatology and sarcoma imaging, and related image-guided interventions.
Originally from India, Dr. Chhabra earned his Bachelor of Medicine Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) degree at Maulana Azad Medical College in New Delhi. He completed his residency in radiology at Delhi University’s Willington Hospital before receiving additional diagnostic residency training at Drexel University College of Medicine in Philadelphia. He received advanced training in musculoskeletal radiology through a fellowship at Temple University Hospital in Philadelphia.
Prior to joining the UT Southwestern faculty in 2013, Dr. Chhabra was an Assistant Professor of Radiology and Orthopedic Surgery at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine in Baltimore, Maryland, where he facilitated the MRN program and introduced novel technical developments, such as three-dimensional (3-D) isotropic MRN with nerve selective reconstructions and advanced diffusion imaging in the realm of peripheral nerve imaging and treatment employing multidisciplinary approaches. While at Johns Hopkins, Dr. Chhabra benefited from the mentorship of John A. Carrino, M.D., M.P.H., and John Eng, M.D.
Research interests
Dr. Chhabra focuses his research on refining musculoskeletal ultrasound, computed tomography and MR practices; and the novel use of 3-D and 4-D joint imaging in sports imaging, MR neurography, sarcoma imaging, and rheumatology imaging. He is working on new forms of image-guided pain management, including minimally invasive image-guided injections. He is currently investigating the impact of MRN in management of pre-surgical patients with peripheral neuropathy, lumbosacral and brachial plexopathy; the value of MRN of lumbosacral plexus versus non-contributory lumbar spine MRI in radiculopathy; the role of whole body MR in neuropathies; and outcomes of image-guided pain injections.
Dr. Chhabra translates his research into clinical practice by deploying novel MRN techniques to map peripheral neuropathy in patients preparing for surgery, and to direct perineural nerve injections in patients with neuropathies.
Global impact
Dr. Chhabra serves as a committee member on national and international societies including the Publications Committee of the International Society of Magnetic Resonance in Medicine (ISMRM), and Scientific Review committees of the American Roentgen Ray Society and the Association of University Radiologists. He is also active in the International Skeletal Society, the Society of Skeletal Radiology, the American College of Radiology, and the Indian Radiological and Imaging Association.
Dr. Chhabra is frequently invited to lecture nationally and internationally at conferences and venues throughout the United States and around the world, including presenting the keynote address to the American Roentgen Ray Society and the Radiological Society of North America, and the Tummala Madhusudana Rao Endowment Oration to the Asian Musculoskeletal Society. He regularly teaches radiologists in India and China via the Internet.
He has authored nearly 200 peer-reviewed publications, two textbooks and 27 book chapters. Dr. Chhabra is a reviewer for scientific journals, and is on the editorial boards of The Journal of Foot and Ankle Surgery, European Radiology, and BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders.
His dedication to the community is demonstrated by his commitment to volunteerism, ranging from judging professional conference events to local science fairs.
Personal note
Dr. Chhabra’s longtime passion for cricket and tennis includes playing the games. He also enjoys watching basketball and football, traveling to different parts of the world, and cooking traditional Indian food.
Education & Training
Professional Associations & Affiliations
- American Roentgen Ray Society (ARRS)
- American University Radiologists (AUR)
- Indian Radiological Society
- International Skeletal Society
- International society of magnetic resonance in medicine (ISMRM)
- National Magnetic Resonance Society
- Radiological society of North America (RSNA)
- Society of Computed Body Tomography and Magnetic Resonance Imaging
- Society of Skeletal Radiology
Honors & Awards
- Diner Memorial lecture 2015, UAMS
- Marquis Who's Who (Platinum edition) 2015
- Tummula Oration 2015, Asian MSK society
- 2nd place award. AUR 2012
- Certificate of merit. CIRSE 2012
- Gatewood fellowship award. JHU 2012
- 1st place awards. ESR and AUR 2011
- Young investigator award. SSR 2011
- GE-AUR Radiology Research Academic Fellowship (GERRAF) 2010-2012
- 2nd prize & Certificate of Merit. Annual PA radiological society meeting 2006
- 1st prize & Certificate of Merit. APARSM 2005
- Certificate of Merit. RSNA 2005
- 1st prize & Certificate of Merit. Annual PA radiological society meeting 2004
- Certificate of merit. RSNA 2004
- Outstanding Academic Achievement award for all four consecutive years 2004-2007
Books & Publications
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Books
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Magnetic Resonance Neurography
Avneesh Chhabra, Gustav Andreisek(Ed.) (2012) -
Musculoskeletal MRI Structured Evaluation: How to Practically Fill the Reporting Checklist
Avneesh Chhabra, Theodoros Soldatos(Ed.) (2014), Wolters
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Magnetic Resonance Neurography
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Publications
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MR imaging of skeletal muscle signal alterations: Systematic approach to evaluation.
Kumar Y, Wadhwa V, Phillips L, Pezeshk P, Chhabra A European journal of radiology 2016 May 85 5 922-35 -
Cross-sectional imaging of adult crystal and inflammatory arthropathies.
Soldatos T, Pezeshk P, Ezzati F, Karp DR, Taurog JD, Chhabra A Skeletal radiology 2016 May -
Role of Diffusion Weighted Imaging in Musculoskeletal Infections: Current Perspectives.
Kumar Y, Khaleel M, Boothe E, Awdeh H, Wadhwa V, Chhabra A European radiology 2016 May -
Current utilities of imaging in grading musculoskeletal soft tissue sarcomas.
Fisher SM, Joodi R, Madhuranthakam AJ, Öz OK, Sharma R, Chhabra A European journal of radiology 2016 Jul 85 7 1336-44 -
Incremental value of magnetic resonance neurography of Lumbosacral plexus over non-contributory lumbar spine magnetic resonance imaging in radiculopathy: A prospective study.
Chhabra A, Farahani SJ, Thawait GK, Wadhwa V, Belzberg AJ, Carrino JA World journal of radiology 2016 Jan 8 1 109-16 -
Magnetic resonance neurography in the management of peripheral trigeminal neuropathy: experience in a tertiary care centre.
Cox B, Zuniga JR, Panchal N, Cheng J, Chhabra A European radiology 2016 Jan -
ISAKOS classification of meniscal tears-illustration on 2D and 3D isotropic spin echo MR imaging.
Wadhwa V, Omar H, Coyner K, Khazzam M, Robertson W, Chhabra A European journal of radiology 2016 Jan 85 1 15-24 -
MR neurographic orthopantomogram: Ultrashort echo-time imaging of mandibular bone and teeth complemented with high-resolution morphological and functional MR neurography.
Manoliu A, Ho M, Nanz D, Dappa E, Boss A, Grodzki DM, Liu W, Chhabra A, Andreisek G, Kuhn FP Journal of magnetic resonance imaging : JMRI 2016 Feb -
Whole-body MR neurography: Prospective feasibility study in polyneuropathy and Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease.
Chhabra A, Carrino JA, Farahani SJ, Thawait GK, Sumner CJ, Wadhwa V, Chaudhary V, Lloyd TE Journal of magnetic resonance imaging : JMRI 2016 Apr -
Second-Opinion Subspecialty Consultations in Musculoskeletal Radiology.
Chalian M, Del Grande F, Thakkar RS, Jalali SF, Chhabra A, Carrino JA AJR. American journal of roentgenology 2016 Apr 1-5 -
T2 black lesions on routine knee MRI: differential considerations.
Wadhwa V, Cho G, Moore D, Pezeshk P, Coyner K, Chhabra A European radiology 2015 Sep -
Impact of high resolution 3 tesla MR neurography (MRN) on diagnostic thinking and therapeutic patient management.
Chhabra A, Belzberg AJ, Rosson GD, Thawait GK, Chalian M, Farahani SJ, Shores JT, Deune G, Hashemi S, Thawait SK, Subhawong TK, Carrino JA European radiology 2015 Sep -
Patellar instability: CT and MRI measurements and their correlation with internal derangement findings.
Thakkar RS, Del Grande F, Wadhwa V, Chalian M, Andreisek G, Carrino JA, Eng J, Chhabra A Knee surgery, sports traumatology, arthroscopy : official journal of the ESSKA 2015 May -
Assessment of image quality in soft tissue and bone visualization tasks for a dedicated extremity cone-beam CT system.
Demehri S, Muhit A, Zbijewski W, Stayman JW, Yorkston J, Packard N, Senn R, Yang D, Foos D, Thawait GK, Fayad LM, Chhabra A, Carrino JA, Siewerdsen JH European radiology 2015 Jan -
SHINKEI-a novel 3D isotropic MR neurography technique: technical advantages over 3DIRTSE-based imaging.
Kasper JM, Wadhwa V, Scott KM, Rozen S, Xi Y, Chhabra A European radiology 2015 Feb -
Atypical Infections versus Inflammatory Conditions of the Hand: The Role of Imaging in Diagnosis.
Soldatos T, Omar H, Sammer D, Chhabra A Plastic and reconstructive surgery 2015 Aug 136 2 316-27 -
Three-Dimensional MR Neurography of the Lumbosacral Plexus.
Chhabra A, Rozen S, Scott K Seminars in musculoskeletal radiology 2015 Apr 19 2 149-59 -
Non-Invasive Targeted Peripheral Nerve Ablation Using 3D MR Neurography and MRI-Guided High-Intensity Focused Ultrasound (MR-HIFU): Pilot Study in a Swine Model.
Huisman M, Staruch RM, Ladouceur-Wodzak M, van den Bosch MA, Burns DK, Chhabra A, Chopra R PloS one 2015 10 12 e0144742 -
Dynamic Evaluation of Pisotriquetral Instability Using 4-dimensional Computed Tomography.
Demehri S, Wadhwa V, Thawait GK, Fattahi N, Means KR, Carrino JA, Chhabra A Journal of computer assisted tomography 2014 May -
Peripheral nerve injury grading simplified on MR neurography: As referenced to Seddon and Sunderland classifications.
Chhabra A, Ahlawat S, Belzberg A, Andreseik G The Indian journal of radiology & imaging 2014 Jul 24 3 217-24 -
Patellofemoral Friction Syndrome: Magnetic Resonance Imaging Correlation of Morphologic and T2 Cartilage Imaging.
Subhawong TK, Thakkar RS, Padua A, Flammang A, Chhabra A, Carrino JA Journal of computer assisted tomography 2014 Jan -
Accuracy of MRI in diagnosing peripheral nerve disease: a systematic review of the literature.
Kwee RM, Chhabra A, Wang KC, Marker DR, Carrino JA AJR. American journal of roentgenology 2014 Dec 203 6 1303-9 -
High-Resolution 3T MR Neurography of the Brachial Plexus and Its Branches, with Emphasis on 3D Imaging.
Chhabra A, Thawait GK, Soldatos T, Thakkar RS, Grande FD, Chalian M, Carrino JA AJNR. American journal of neuroradiology 2013 Mar 34 3 486-97 -
Diffusion-weighted MR Neurography of Extremity Nerves at 3.0 T: Feasibility Study.
Zhao L, Wang G, Wu L, Yang L, Lin X, Chhabra A. 2013 June -
Anatomic MR Imaging and Functional Diffusion Tensor Imaging of Peripheral Nerve Tumors and Tumorlike Conditions.
Chhabra A, Thakkar RS, Andreisek G, Chalian M, Belzberg AJ, Blakeley J, Hoke A, Thawait GK, Eng J, Carrino JA AJNR. American journal of neuroradiology 2013 Jan -
Meralgia paresthetica: 3-Tesla magnetic resonance neurography.
Chhabra A, Del Grande F, Soldatos T, Chalian M, Belzberg AJ, Williams EH, Jalali FS, Thawait GK, Eng J, Carrino JA Skeletal radiology 2013 Jan -
Quantification of muscle fat in patients with low back pain: comparison of multi-echo MR imaging with single-voxel MR spectroscopy.
Fischer MA, Nanz D, Shimakawa A, Schirmer T, Guggenberger R, Chhabra A, Carrino JA, Andreisek G Radiology 2013 Feb 266 2 555-63 -
A systematic approach to magnetic resonance imaging evaluation of epiphyseal lesions.
Thawait SK, Thawait GK, Frassica FJ, Andreisek G, Carrino JA, Chhabra A Magnetic resonance imaging 2013 Apr 31 3 418-31 -
Magnetic resonance neurography-simple guide to performance and interpretation.
Chhabra A Seminars in roentgenology 2013 Apr 48 2 111-25 -
High-resolution magnetic resonance-guided posterior femoral cutaneous nerve blocks.
Fritz J, Bizzell C, Kathuria S, Flammang AJ, Williams EH, Belzberg AJ, Carrino JA, Chhabra A Skeletal radiology 2013 Apr 42 4 579-86 -
MR Neurography: Advances.
Chhabra A, Zhao L, Carrino JA, Trueblood E, Koceski S, Shteriev F, Lenkinski L, Sinclair CD, Andreisek G Radiology research and practice 2013 2013 809568 -
Kinematic "4 Dimensional" CT Imaging in the Assessment of Wrist Biomechanics Before and After Surgical Repair.
Shores JT, Demehri S, Chhabra A Eplasty 2013 13 e9 -
Multimodality correlations of patellar height measurement on X-ray, CT, and MRI.
Lee PP, Chalian M, Carrino JA, Eng J, Chhabra A Skeletal radiology 2012 Sep 41 10 1309-14 -
Assessment of median nerve with MR neurography by using diffusion-tensor imaging: normative and pathologic diffusion values.
Guggenberger R, Markovic D, Eppenberger P, Chhabra A, Schiller A, Nanz D, Prüssmann K, Andreisek G Radiology 2012 Oct 265 1 194-203 -
Magnetic resonance imaging of musculoskeletal infections: systematic diagnostic assessment and key points.
Soldatos T, Durand DJ, Subhawong TK, Carrino JA, Chhabra A Academic radiology 2012 Nov 19 11 1434-43 -
Current perspectives on the advantages of 3-T MR imaging of the wrist.
Chhabra A, Soldatos T, Thawait GK, Del Grande F, Thakkar RS, Means KR, Carrino JA Radiographics : a review publication of the Radiological Society of North America, Inc 2012 May-Jun 32 3 879-96 -
Prediction of transitional lumbosacral anatomy on magnetic resonance imaging of the lumbar spine.
Chalian M, Soldatos T, Carrino JA, Belzberg AJ, Khanna J, Chhabra A World journal of radiology 2012 Mar 4 3 97-101 -
MR neurography of the median nerve at 3.0T: optimization of diffusion tensor imaging and fiber tractography.
Guggenberger R, Eppenberger P, Markovic D, Nanz D, Chhabra A, Pruessmann KP, Andreisek G European journal of radiology 2012 Jul 81 7 e775-82 -
Magnetic resonance neurography of common peroneal (fibular) neuropathy.
Lee PP, Chalian M, Bizzell C, Williams EH, Rosson GD, Belzberg AJ, Eng J, Carrino JA, Chhabra A Journal of computer assisted tomography 2012 Jul 36 4 455-61 -
High resolution magnetic resonance imaging of the patellar retinaculum: normal anatomy, common injury patterns, and pathologies.
Thawait SK, Soldatos T, Thawait GK, Cosgarea AJ, Carrino JA, Chhabra A Skeletal radiology 2012 Feb 41 2 137-48 -
Soft-tissue lesions: when can we exclude sarcoma?
Chhabra A, Soldatos T AJR. American journal of roentgenology 2012 Dec 199 6 1345-57 -
Spectrum of high-resolution MRI findings in diabetic neuropathy.
Thakkar RS, Del Grande F, Thawait GK, Andreisek G, Carrino JA, Chhabra A AJR. American journal of roentgenology 2012 Aug 199 2 407-12 -
A quantitative method to assess focal acetabular overcoverage resulting from pincer deformity using CT data.
Murphy RJ, Subhawong TK, Chhabra A, Carrino JA, Armand M, Hungerford M Clinical orthopaedics and related research 2011 Oct 469 10 2846-54 -
MR evaluation of synovial injury in shoulder trauma.
Chalian M, Soldatos T, Faridian-Aragh N, Andreisek G, McFarland EG, Carrino JA, Chhabra A Emergency radiology 2011 Oct 18 5 395-402 -
The application of three-dimensional diffusion-weighted PSIF technique in peripheral nerve imaging of the distal extremities.
Chhabra A, Soldatos T, Subhawong TK, Machado AJ, Thawait SK, Wang KC, Padua A, Flammang AJ, Williams EH, Carrino JA Journal of magnetic resonance imaging : JMRI 2011 Oct 34 4 962-7 -
The role of magnetic resonance imaging in the diagnostic evaluation of malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumors.
Chhabra A, Soldatos T, Durand DJ, Carrino JA, McCarthy EF, Belzberg AJ Indian journal of cancer 2011 Jul-Sep 48 3 328-34 -
Cartilage magnetic resonance imaging techniques at 3 T: current status and future directions.
Thakkar RS, Subhawong T, Carrino JA, Chhabra A Topics in magnetic resonance imaging : TMRI 2011 Apr 22 2 71-81 -
Superolateral Hoffa's fat pad edema: association with patellofemoral maltracking and impingement.
Subhawong TK, Eng J, Carrino JA, Chhabra A AJR. American journal of roentgenology 2010 Dec 195 6 1367-73 -
Anatomy, pathology, and MRI findings in the sports hernia.
Shortt CP, Zoga AC, Kavanagh EC, Meyers WC Seminars in musculoskeletal radiology 2008 Mar 12 1 54-61 -
Athletic pubalgia and the "sports hernia": MR imaging findings.
Zoga AC, Kavanagh EC, Omar IM, Morrison WB, Koulouris G, Lopez H, Chaabra A, Domesek J, Meyers WC Radiology 2008 Jun 247 3 797-807
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MR imaging of skeletal muscle signal alterations: Systematic approach to evaluation.
Research
- Sports Imaging, Sarcoma imaging, MR Neurography, Rheumatology and Whole body MR imaging, Image guided injections and biopsies
Clinical Focus
- Musculoskeletal Disorders
- Diagnostic Radiology
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