MAGNETIC-RESONANCE TOMOGRAPHY (MRT) OF TH E KNEE-JOINT - MENISCUS, CRUCIATE LIGAMENTS AND HYALINE CARTILAGE

The use of MRT for diagnosing injury to the meniscus, the cruciate lig aments and hyaline cartilage was evaluated retrospectively in 82 knee joints without any knowledge of operative findings. In 49 cases the re sults were verified by arthroscopy and in 33 cases by arthrotomy. Sens itivity, specificity and diagnostic accuracy of MRT for meniscus lesio ns was 73.9 %, 96.9 %, and 94.6 %. Corresponding values for lesions of the anterior cruciate ligament were 88.9 %, 96.6 %, and 94.7 %, and f or lesions of the hyaline cartilage 62.6 %, 96.1 %, and 87.9 %, respec tively. In addition to its high specificity, MRT proved accurate in ex cluding lesions of the meniscus (97.1 %) of the anterior cruciate liga ment (96.6 %) and of hyaline cartilage (88.8 %). A negative finding on MRT therefore makes the presence of a lesion of the meniscus, cruciat e ligaments of cartilage unlikely. In such cases one is justified in d elaying the use of arthroscopy or arthrotomy.