PHYSICIAN'S CORNER
Indications For MRI Examination Of The
Knee Joint
Return to the Physician's Corner - Persistent pain with plain x-ray being normal
- Trauma, plain x-ray showing no fracture but knee pain not resolving
- Painful knee with joint effusion
- Tibial plateau fracture
- Suspected stress fracture
- Mass lesion adjacent to the knee
- Villonodular synovitis
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Knee is the most often examined joint with MRI. Most common abnormalities are meniscal tears, anterior cruciate ligament tear, medial collateral ligament tear and bone bruising. Patients generally have painful, swollen knee or instability.
The information available on MRI is much more then plain x-ray and quite often will determine the course of management.