It’s ski season in much of the world, just about the time when many imaging practices begin to see winter sports-related injuries. One such injury involves the meniscus, which like the anterior cruciate ligament is prone to tearing under stresses created by skiing and ice skating.
A pair of studies featured this week in our MRI Digital Community found mixed results in the use of MRI to diagnose knee injuries. In one study, Swiss researchers concluded that MRI can be valuable for helping radiologists diagnose meniscal tears. In the other, a Dutch group found that abnormal findings on extremity MRI scans following knee trauma was not as good a predictor of the future course of knee therapy as was an abnormal x-ray.
The Swiss team used high-field scanners to determine that certain types of meniscal tears were far likelier to cause knee pain than other types. You'll find out which types cause the most pain in the article, which also features a handy table detailing the imaging protocols used in the study.
The Dutch study evaluated the use of extremity MRI in an emergency setting, after acute knee trauma. The goal was to see if MRI could predict the need for treatment in the follow-up period.
While MRI proved useful in some respects, not all data analysis methods showed a link between MRI and future course of treatment. X-ray was a stronger predictor of whether a patient could be discharged without additional workup or treatment.
