Evaluation of MRI Findings in Chronic Painful Knee Joint
Year: 2019
Type: article
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: BACKGROUND \nAny disruption of the intra articular structures of the tri-compartmental knee joint \nor even extra-articular pathologies related to quadriceps mechanism and synovium \ncan cause painful knee resulting in functional morbidity and disability. To ascertain \nand manage the root cause various modalities are available today. Magnetic \nResonating Imaging (MRI) is an effective and non-invasive imaging modality in \ndiagnosing and classifying the knee pathology. With the introduction of special \nclosely coupled extremity coils, high field systems, open systems, extremity units \nand other technical advances, MRI has virtually replaced conventional \narthrography for evaluation of intraarticular pathologies. It has also decreased \nboth morbidity and costs associated with negative intra articular arthroscopic \nexaminations. \nMETHODS \nThe present study was a non-randomized prospective study conducted in \nDepartment of Radiodiagnosis and Department of Orthopaedics, Subharti Medical \nCollege, Meerut, Uttar Pradesh, India. The study was carried out for a period of \nthree years from September 2015 to September 2018. The study was done on \npatients presenting in orthopaedics outpatient department, CSS Hospital with knee \npain for duration of more than 3 months and subsequent evaluation of the knee \njoint by using GE SIGNA 1.5 Tesla High gradient MRI Scanner. In each patient \nT1W, T2W, PD, STIR, GRE and PD-FAT SAT sequences are taken. A total of 100 \npatients with chronic knee pain i.e. pain for duration of more than 3 months, were \nstudied. \nRESULTS \nIn our study we found that, meniscal tears in young population (age less than 40 \nyears) and meniscal degeneration in patients above 40 years of age is the major \nfinding. Grade 2 medial meniscal tears were most commonly followed by grade 3 \nmedial meniscal tears, followed by lateral meniscal injury. ACL tears were the next \nmost common finding after meniscal injuries or degeneration. \nCONCLUSIONS \nMRI is an accurate, non-invasive and a cost-effective means to evaluate a painful \nknee. The high degree of precision in interpretation of MR images and imaging in \nvarious planes and positioning the knee in 15-20° of external rotation and 5-10° \nof flexion aided in delineating the site and the full extent of the lesions.
Authors: Shubhda Sagar, Sunil Malhotra, Arunim Swarup, Ravikant Kaushik
Language: English
Subfield: Surgery
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: diamond
OpenAlex ID: W2991109489