Role of MRI in Painful Knee

Objective: To assess the effectiveness of MRI in Knee Injurers. Place and Duration: From January 2015 to June 2015 at Diagnostic Imaging at NIRM Islamabad Materials and Methods: A total of 60 consecutive patients were recruited in this retrospective study, MRI of the knees was done using four channel knee coil and a 1 Tesla superconducting magnet. Results: The sample population comprised of 60 outpatients with knee joint pain or swelling. Their ages ranged between 16 to 50 years, the peak age was 41 to 50 years representing Males (66.7%) while (33.3%) were females. Joint pain without swelling was the commonest presenting clinical complaint by 70%, while painful swollen knee was in 30%. Anterior cruciate ligament injury was partial in 9 patients(15%), complete in 4 patients (6.7%), posterior cruciate in 2( 3.3%), collateral ligament in 10(16.7%) medial meniscal lesions was detected in 38 patients( 63.3%), lateral meniscal lesions in 9 (15%), joint effusion in 41 ( 68.3%), bone marrow edema 17 (28.3%), osteoarthritis 22(36.7), Baker cyst were diagnosed in 6 (10%). 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.