J Korean Radiol Soc.  1999 Jul;41(1):159-164. 10.3348/jkrs.1999.41.1.159.

Diagnostic Value of MR Imaging in Differentiation of Meniscal Tear Patterns

• Jun DJ
• Jee WH
• Lee YJ
• Choi KH

• KMID: 2200876
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.3348/jkrs.1999.41.1.159

Abstract

PURPOSE: To evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of magnetic resonance (MR) imaging in the differentiation ofmeniscal tear patterns of the knee. MATERIALS AND METHODS: MR images of 93 patients with meniscal tear wereincluded in this study. On the basis of arthroscopic findings, the configuration of meniscal tears was classifiedas horizontal (n=44), longitudinal (n=34), transverse (n=11), or oblique (n=5). Oblique sagittal and coronal MRimages were obtained and com-pared with the arthroscopic findings. RESULTS: Among 94 cases ofarthroscopically-proven meniscal tears, 35 of 44 horizontal and 27 of 34 longitudi-nal configurations werecorrectly interpreted on MR images. Sensitivity and specificity for horizontal configu-ration were 80 % and 80 %,respectively, while the corresponding values for longitudinal configuration were 79 % and 95 %. On MR images, tworadial configurations were correctly interpreted from 11 confirmed tears and only one oblique configuration fromfive confirmed tears. CONCLUSION: MR imaging was useful for the differentiation of horizontal and longitudinaltears, but inaccurate in cases involving radial or oblique tears.

Keyword

Knee, MR; Knee, ligaments, menisci, and cartilage; Magnetic resonance (MR), technology

MeSH Terms

Humans
Knee
Magnetic Resonance Imaging*
Sensitivity and Specificity