Knee Pain Evaluation: MRI’s Role in Comprehensive Diagnosis
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.63682/jns.v14i23S.2465Abstract
Introduction: Knee pain is a frequent and disabling issue that impacts people across all age groups, frequently arising from various underlying conditions such as ligament injuries, joint effusion, bone fractures, and osteoarthritis. Precise diagnosis is essential for effective treatment and better patient outcomes.
Aim: The study was aimed to evaluate the different knee joint pathologies.
Materials and Methods: The present study was a hospital based descriptive study conducted in a tertiary care centre in India (n=184). Patients being referred for the evaluation of painful knees were included in the study and evaluated by MRI scans performed using Siemens 1.5 Tesla High gradient MRI scanner. Results were analysed by a descriptive analysis.
Results: A total of 184 patients, including males aged 23-73 (mean age 44.86) and females aged 22-78 (mean age 45.17). Comprehensive medical histories were collected, showing the majority had trauma (n=93) followed by pain (n=82). Few patients were referred for follow- up studies. The study revealed that most patients had ligament injuries with joint effusion (n=42, 22.9%), followed by ligament tears (n=31, 16.84%), knee joint effusion (n=23, 12.5%), chondromalacia patella (n=19, 10.3%), and osteoarthritis (n=18, 9.8%).
Conclusion: MRI is effective in diagnosing knee conditions like ligament injuries, joint effusion, fractures, and osteoarthritis, with significant clinical implications. MRI, being reliable, cost-effective, and non-invasive, provides detailed knee joint evaluations, aiding in surgical decisions and chronic issue assessments without requiring intravenous contrast agents
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