Role of MRI in Evaluating Traumatic and Non-Traumatic Knee Pain

Abstract

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a well-established and widely utilized noninvasive tool for the evaluation of internal derangement of the knee. Because it offers excellent soft tissue contrast and multi-planar capabilities, MRI enables physicians to radiologically examine muscle, ligament, tendon, cartilage, and bone in a highly detailed manner. MRI is indicated in the assessment of acute knee pain, if there is reasonable clinical suspicion of a condition in which arthroscopy is considered necessary. If examination under anesthesia is required for the clinical examination, then MRI may be more cost-effective, and have similar utility. MRI has a role in meniscal and cruciate ligament lesions, when the indication for arthroscopy is less clear-cut. MRI allows imaging of the knee joint as a whole organ not only the articular cartilage. It can detect osteophytic changes, subchondral cyst like lesions, bone marrow oedema, meniscal tear and intrasubstance meniscal degeneration. These helps in scoring of the knee OA as a whole joint. It has been clearly demonstrated that the judicious use of MRI does lower the rate of arthroscopy, and that it is probably a cost-effective intervention.