Abstract

ROLE OF MRI IN EVALUATION OF PAINFUL KNEE

Introduction: Requests for knee Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) are most often made when the patient presents with a painful knee. This pain might be due to trauma or infection or inflammation. Complete clinical examination is not possible in such situations as the patients cannot co-operate due to severe pain. There comes the role of noninvasive multiplanar imaging. Hence this study was undertaken to evaluate how MRI can evaluate painful knee. Methods: 50 consecutive patients who were referred for MRI evaluation of painful knee were included in this study. Specific findings that explained the cause of pain were compiled. Results: In this present study of 50 patients, and 17 were females (34%) and 33 were males (66%).The mean age was 36.70± 13.14 years. Traumatic causes outnumbered non traumatic etiologies of painful knee. Injury to the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) was the commonest soft tissue abnormality encountered. Partial tears were more common than complete tears. Tibial attachment was commonly affected than femoral attachment. Injured posterior horn of the medial meniscus and medial collateral ligament, were the commonest associated findings. Conclusion: MRI evaluation in patients with painful knee is of vital importance, as MRI can demonstrate the exact nature and extent of bony as well as soft tissue abnormality. Multiplanar imaging capacity and noninvasive nature of MRI enable a satisfactory diagnosis in such patients in whom a complete clinical examination is almost impossible due to pain.

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