Knee Magnetic Resonance Imaging: Descriptive Frequency and Outcome in University of Jordan Hospital

Aims: To evaluate the experience of the university of Jordan hospital regarding knee magnetic resonance imaging and to compare our findings with those published in the medical literature. Methods: 575 knee magnetic resonance imaging exams for 569 patients performed over the period of 10 years were reviewed. 109 patients, 66 males and 43 females with a percentage of (19.1 %) had normal knee magnetic resonance image and were excluded from the study while the remaining 460 patients (80.9 %) with variable abnormalities were included in our study. Results: Variable knee pathologies were noted, the most common was knee fluid found in 381 patients representing (81.7 %) of the pathologies detected, followed by bone marrow edema in 240 patients (51.5 %), while cruciate ligament tear of the knee was found in 205 patients (43.99 %), followed by meniscal tear in 184 patients (39.48%) and meniscal degeneration in 135 patients (28.96 %). Finally, osteoarthrosis which was the least common finding seen in 63 patients (13.5 %). Discussion: Patients referred for knee magnetic resonance imaging scanning in the university of Jordan hospital showed diverse imaging findings with the most common abnormality detected being joint fluid followed by bone marrow edema and cruciate ligament tear. The great benefit from knee magnetic resonance imaging was in diagnosing meniscal tear, staging fractures and characterization of other miscellaneous pathologies. The prevalence of knee pathologies among our patients as revealed by knee magnetic resonance imaging was not in concordance with what is published in the literature especially for gender distribution of anterior cruciate ligament tear.