Bomidi Sudha Rani1, Kaki Radha Rani2, Bonthu Anuradha3, B. M. Hemalatha4, Karri Sambasiva Rao5, Pasam Kusumalatha6
BACKGROUND
MRI has been accepted as the best imaging modality for noninvasive evaluation of knee injuries and it has proved reliable, safe and offers advantages over diagnostic arthroscopy, which is currently regarded as the reference standard for the diagnosis of internal derangements of the knee.1
METHODS AND MATERIALS
A prospective study of fifty patients who underwent MRI for the diagnosis of internal derangement of knee was conducted between the period of January 2015 to January 2016 in Government General Hospital, Kakinada. All the patients with history of knee joint pain following trauma and clinically suspected to have meniscal and ligament tears are included in the study. Patients were evaluated using GE 1.5 T MRI machine with pulsar gradient system using a sensor extremity coil.
RESULTS
Commonest lesion detected in our study was ACL tear followed by medial meniscal tear and medial collateral ligament injury. The most common sign of cruciate ligament injury was hyperintensity in the ligament. Grade 3 was the most common grade of meniscal tear.
CONCLUSION
MRI is an excellent, noninvasive, radiation free imaging modality and is unique in its ability to evaluate the internal structure as well as soft tissue delineation. Many anatomical variants can mimic a tear on MRI. MRI is an excellent noninvasive modality for imaging the knee and helps in arriving at a correct anatomical diagnosis there by guiding further management of the patient.
