The value of selective imaging of fat and water compared with proton density, T1- and T2- weighted MR sequences was studied in the course of 32 examinations on 22 primary bone tumours in various parts of the body. Fat selective images showed practically signal free areas for osteogenic tumours which could be distinguished from surrounding fat containing soft tissues. Water selective images improved definition of the tumour margin from oedema in the bone marrow. Chemical shift artefacts are avoided by these methods and therefore fat and water selective images provide better spatial resolution for identical pixel sizes.