POSTOPERATIVE EVALUATION OF THE KNEE BY MRI

Abstract

Background: The knee is a frequently injured joint and, thus, a common focus of operative intervention. As operative techniques and imaging modalities evolve, radiologist must be aware of the expected postoperative appearance after knee surgeries that are performed commonly, and also must be comfortable recognizing complications encountered in the immediate or delayed postoperative period. Aims: To assess the role of MRI in evaluation of the postoperative knee. Methodology: This study include 20 patients , 15 (75 %) male and 5 (25%) female their age range between 14-50 years, all presented postoperative knee and were referred to radiology department of Ain Shams University hospital for MRI exam for either post-operative assessment, complication or follow up after orthopedic examination. Patient had MRI imaging of the affected knee joint using high field strength scanners (1.5 T) MRI unit (Achieva, Philips medical system) MRI was performed by Knee coil in all cases. Results: This study include 20 patients , 15 (75 %) male and 5 (25%) female their age range between 14-50 years, all presented postoperative knee and were referred to radiology department of Ain Shams University hospital for MRI exam for either post-operative assessment, complication or follow up after orthopedic examination. Conclusion: MRI is highly accurate in diagnosing meniscal and ACL tears. It is the most appropriate screening tool for therapeutic arthroscopy. It is preferable to diagnostic arthroscopy in most patients because it is faster and avoids surgical risks. Area of future research is the use of specific MRI sequences to identify problems in each of the various tissues in and around the knee (ligaments, menisci, tendons, articular surface and bone), while keeping the investigation within acceptable times and costs. Keywords: Postoperative evaluation, knee by MRI