Knee effusions, radiology and acute knee trauma

Abstract

Sixty patients with acute knee trauma were examined radiographically at presentation and subsequently examined under anaesthetic, when arthroscopy was performed. The aim was to assess whether a normal radiograph at presentation excluded significant knee pathology. Nine patients with significant pathology (25%) had normal radiographs at presentation.

MRI of the knees in asymptomatic adolescent soccer players: A case-control study

“…The following findings were noted: joint effusion, bone marrow edema, cartilage injuries, and abnormalities of the tendons, meniscus, ligaments, bursas, and fat pads. The following criteria were used to assess these findings: tendons, rupture, thickening or changes to the signal in T 1 (SE), fat‐suppressed T 2 ‐weighted (FSE) and PD sequences; ligaments, rupture, thickening, or changes to the signal in T 1 (SE), FSE, and PD sequences; meniscus, increase in signal intensity in T 1 (SE), FSE, and PD sequences, irregularity or discontinuity of the outline of the joint surface, with meniscus damage graded as follows: classification: 0 = normal, 1 = intrasubstance signal abnormality not extending to the joint surface, 2 = linear intrasubstance signal abnormality not extending to the joint surface, 3 = linear intrasubstance signal abnormality that does extend to the joint surface 48 ; joint cartilage, increase in signal intensity in T 1 (SE), FSE, and PD sequences, indefinite or irregular outline or fissures, chondral injuries were classified as follows: 0 = normal, 1 = surface fissures, 2 = damage compromising <50% of the thickness of the cartilage, 3 = damage compromising >50% of the thickness of the cartilage, but not involving subchondral bone, 4 = damage compromising the entire thickness as far as the subchondral bone; bone marrow edema, increased signal intensity in FSE, and PD sequences and reduced signal intensity in T 1 (SE) weighted sequences; presence of bone marrow edema was quantified as 0 = absent, 1 = discrete, 2 = moderate, 3 = intense; joint effusion was considered absent when the quantity of synovial liquid was less than 5 mm in the suprapatellar bursa and present when there was a quantity larger than 5 mm; edema of the supra‐ and infrapatellar fat pads, the quadriceps (anterior suprapatellar), prefemoral (posterior suprapatellar or supratrochlear), and Hoffa (infrapatellar) fat pads, increased signal intensity in FSE and PD sequences; and reduced signal intensity in T 1 (FSE) sequences. Ganglion cysts and liquid in bursas were described in terms of their locations and classified as present or absent.…”