A Prospective Study of Role of Magnetic Resonance Imaging in Evaluation of Painful Knee Joint

The objective of this study is to describe the MRI features in various traumatic and non traumatic lesions causing painful knee joint. Materials and methods: 140 consecutive patients with painful knee joint were selected for the study from October 2012 to April 2014. Clinical examinations, MRI knee (within 4 days of referral) & in selected cases arthroscopy was performed and the findings were compared. Results: Out of 140 patients MR images were normal in 4 patients. It was positive for meniscal tears in patients with maximal involvement of the medial meniscus and the posterior horn. These tears were classified into grades with maximum number of tears belonging to grade 3. In ligament tears more number of tears were seen in ACL. Secondary signs associated with ligament tears were also assessed. Other chronic causes of painful knee joint were minimal. Conclusion: MRI is an accurate, non-invasive technique for examination of the soft tissues and osseous structures of the knee. It has great capability in diagnosing meniscal tears and classifying them into grades and types which would avoid unnecessary arthroscopic examination. It is a very good modality to diagnose complete tears of the ACL and in diagnosing meniscal tears which are difficult to be seen on arthroscopy.