ROLE OF ULTRASONOGRAPHY VERSUS MRI IN DIAGNOSIS OF ANKLE LESIONS

Abstract

The ankle is the most frequently injured joint of all major weight bearing joints in the body. Ankle injuries account for 25% of athletic injury. Ankle pain is a common complaint in orthopedic practice. The etiology of ankle pain includes various pathologies such as tendon and ligament injuries, joint disorders, osseous lesions and soft tissue pathologies . Whereas tendons can be affected by traumatic, degenerative, and inflammatory conditions, ligaments are mostly involved by tears . Clinicians usually start dealing with ankle injury by plain radiographic examination as it is cheap, easy and has a great ability in demonstrating fractures, arthritis, intraarticular loose bodies, osteophytes, tendinous calcifications as well as lytic and sclerotic bone lesions. However, many ankle injuries were undiagnosed by conventional radiology and needs further evaluation to diagnose ligamentous, tendinous and muscle injuries as well as osseous lesions as stress fractures, osteochondral lesions, and avascular necrosis Chapter (6) Summary And Conclusion 117788 MRI has become the modality of choice in evaluation of ankle injuries due to its high soft tissue contrast resolution, and multi-planar capabilities. It provides a non-invasive tool for the diagnosis of related injuries, which are often difficult to diagnose with alternative modalities. MRI is particularly advantageous for assessing soft tissue structures around the ankle such as tendons, ligaments, nerves, and fascia and for detecting occult bone injuries. However, the high costs and the relative limited availability of most current MR imaging systems, as well as the relatively long duration of the examination, have been a major hindrance to a wide application .